"Cake makes everything better!"
- Duff, owner of Charm City Cakes and star of Ace of Cakes

Isn't it so true?! I've had a lot of questions about The Cupcake Company's presence (or lack there of) at the Farmer's Market in Moscow. It's nice to know that we are missed, Thanks! Well, our weekend cupcakin' census has been up with graduation parties, birthdays, receptions, etc . . . so in order to deliver high grade homebaked cupcake goodness to our customers The Cupcake Company has been devoting its time to filling party orders. So . . . I guess you have to throw a party and order some cupcakes!
Don't worry party-poopers you'll have your cupcakes and eat them too. The Cupcake Co. will be at Moscow's Farmer's Market this summer, keep watching for us and we'll try to announce it as well!

Can't get enough of this Chocolate Dipped Goodness!

I can't get enough of dipping my desserts into chocolate lately, seriously a good idea! If you want to add that "WOW," factor to your homebaked cookin - dip it in chocolate. If your children are misbehaving and your hair looks ratty . . . that's right - dip it in chocolate. Really, ask yourself - can I go wrong? And I'm telling you - No, you can't go wrong.
I was talkin to my good friend the other and she says to me "Geeze, my hair's a little ratty today...," and I says to her - yeah, that's right, that's what I said - dip it in chocolate.
Really, can you go wrong? No.

Update on MOM's Day!

For Mother's Day we decided to focus on the Grandma's this year. So EARLY one morning a couple of weeks ago me and the boys were up and going with Dad - before he went to Law school - so the whole family could personalize these tote bags with our hand prints. I decided the only way the hands prints would end up looking like hands prints was with BOTH parents involved and it's more fun that way. Jack did end up with his older brother's hand print on his back, but it was all good fun. We also included some chocolates from Cow Girl Chocolates, can't leave our favorite local chocolates out. We had to make sure our pckgs arrived before I blogged about it and I was a little behind getting them in the mail, so here's a peak!

Happy Nurses Week

I recently accepted a Nursing position at Pullman Regional Hospital as a Medical Surgical nurse and next week is National Nursing week and our dept. is suppose to come up with a poster to display for the celebration. Wellll . . . I volunteered and since cupcakes are a medium of expression (and consumption :) that I enjoy this is what I've been brainstorming. The cupcake are psudo-representations of the nursing staff - no one really has blue hair only cupcake personalities with blue hair ;)

Mother's Day is just around the corner . . . .

Are you brainstorming a sweet treat, T-shirt, or personalized mug for your mother? I can't give away any surprises about what our family is doing for the special matrons in our lives, but if both of them didn't live in Alaska (where we are originally from) I'd love to take over some homemade goodness like these homemade Chocolate Granola Dip bars. It's a homemade granola bar dipped in chocolate, LUV 'um! They are healthy, chewy, and chocolaty - can't beat that! Super easy too!

Chocolate Granola Dip Bars
1 cup pitted dates
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats, finely ground
1 cup pecans or walnuts, finely ground
1/2 cup macadamia nuts - 1/4 cup finely ground and the other 1/4 cup coarsely chopped
1/3 cup papaya, chopped
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/3 cup dried blueberries
2 tablespoons oat bran
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 350. Place dates in sml sauce pan with just enough water to cover the dates and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, drain out water and puree in a food processor until smooth. This is the "glue," that holds our granola bars together. Set your "glue," aside. Now measure, chop and finely grind each ingredient that calls for it - when you are doing this think of what kind of chunks you or your mom like to see in granola bars ;) Now that each ingredient is ready mix them up in a deep bowl. Then add the pureed dates and honey and mix it up. Spray your pan with vegetable oil and press granola mixture into the pan. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, bars will be light golden brown. Cut your bars while they are still warm in the pan then let it cool till you can touch the pan without a hot pad. Now remove your bars and let them cool the rest of the way on a wire rack.

Once your bars are cooled completely, this is important otherwise your bars will break off in the chocolate while you are trying to dip them . . .Yikes! Choose whatever kind of chocolate makes your mom happy and start dippin! Lay them out on a piece of wax paper to set up, then drizzle with your choice of accent chocolate, sprinkles, coconut, or nuts.

Young People's Arts Festival April 2010

I had a great time at the Young People's Arts Festival last Saturday! The kids were creative, well behaved, and energetic! There were all sorts of classes; crazy hats, paper bead making, a drawing class, wooden airplane-making, etc . . . My son, Gunner was was able to come to the second half and he decorated cupcakes, with me, then he went to wooden airplane-making class. I wish I could have followed him around and took some pictures, but I'm glad he got to come participate in all the fun! Kathleen and Keely from Moscow's Arts Dept. did an AMAZING JOB getting it organized! I only wish I could have gone when I was a kid ;)

Happy Spring!

It is so nice out today! It feels so Spring! It makes me happy! Another thing that makes me happy is Moscow's Young People's Arts Festival that the city's department of Arts puts on for the kiddos! It's this Saturday amd here's a peak at one of the cupcake creations I'll be teaching in "Cupcake decorating with The Cupcake Co." You can still sign up just contact Keely Garrity at 208-883-7036 or stop by Moscow Jr. High Saturday morning at 8:30am. Hope to see you there!

Wedding F.A.Q.

Q: Does The Cupcake Company cater cupcakes for Weddings?
A: Yes, we do!

Q: How do I reserve The Cupcake Company's FANTABULOUS cupcakes for my special day?
A: Send us an email with the date, approx number of guests, a list of flavors you are mulling over, and a check for $75.

Q: What is the $75 for?
A: It is a non-refundable deposit that we require for orders over 4 doz cupcakes, it will be applied toward the total amount due.

Q: How many cupcakes do I order?
A: A good rule of thumb, if you want make sure there is a little extra, is the approx number of guests plus 1/3. SO . . . let's say there are approx. 90 guests coming, 1/3 of 90 is 30, and 30 + 90 = 120 - place your order for 10 doz cupcakes. Otherwise, take your 'guests attending number,' and divide by 12
90 divided by 12 = 7.5 - The Cupcake Company's cupcakes come in sets of 1 doz, so you can choose to round up to 8 doz cupcakes or round down to 7 doz cupcakes.

Q: How many flavors can I choose?
A: Every 4 doz cupcakes can be one flavor.

Q:Can there be variation within each flavor?
A:Possibly . . .

Q:Like 2 doz Lemon Resolution with white chocolate chips and 2 doz without white chocolate chips?
A:That sounds very reasonable.

Q: What if I would like to sample a few flavors?
A: You can purchase a sample box of 4 different flavors. The Cupcake Company will announce Sample box dates and which flavors are available on our blog.

Q: Will you travel to cater cupcakes at my wedding?
A: That depends on the location, our schedule, and your date. We have a few suggestions for couples who need our cupcakes to fly, etc . .

I hope this is enough information to get you started, Congratulations! And Good Luck!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter my friends! Might I suggest coloring cupcakes instead of eggs this year, all you need is your favorite vanilla cupcake recipe and Betty Crockers Classic Gel Food Colors - you end up with brighter colors, I get mine at Winco - whip your batter up, divide it into separated bowls and add different gel colors to each bowl of batter. Then you can layer the different colored batters in each cupcake liner however you like. This is the cupcake version of the rainbow cake I'm sure you've found in your blog stocking rounds. My kids love it and I don't feel any pressure to consume hard boiled eggs for days. However pretty and pastel decorated Easter eggs may be, they are still hard boiled eggs - let's just say I'm not a big fan, so I'll take the cupcakes.

April Fools!

Don't you feel like a hot plate of spaghetti and meatballs . . . on cupcakes! April fools! What may seem like a beautiful plate of marinara with meatballs is actually a plate of my vanilla brown sugar cupcakes, fabulous cream cheese frosting (piped on helter skelter with a very small tip), strawberry jam, and Ferrero Rocher chocolates. This is my tribute to some fun cupcakes you can find in Hello Cupcake, an amazing cupcake cookbook full of decorating ideas for cupcakes - a must have for you cookbook collectors out there. Here's another view from the side with grated white chocolate simulating Parmesan cheese.



It's the strawberry jam, it makes such a nice fake marinara sauce I am totally psyching myself out! My tummy is growling for some paste goodness, but what are you gonna do? What are some of your April Fools day gags?

Cup of tea, Cupcake origins

There are two arguments that exist to explain the origin of our fine little cake friends. The first supposes cupcakes received their name because they were traditionally baked in tea cups or small cups. The second speculates that practicality is the root of their title as a mnemonic for their recipe: one cup of butter,sugar, flour, and eggs. I favor the the first theory, doesn't it seem more romantic? Can't you picture yourself in an 'Anne of Green Gables,' book or something? Though if I'd lived a couple of decades ago the only way I could remember Mrs. Stacy's amazing "cup," cake recipe would be the mnemonic.

Happy 4th Birthday Son!

I know it's been awhile, one of those crazy months+ that never ends, we moved, everyone took turns being sick (wouldn't want someone to feel left out :), then we celebrated Gunner's (our oldest son) 4th Birthday. And I wanted to share some of those pictures - not us moving or being sick . . . the cute birthday ones :)
Gunner wanted to do a Super Hero Birthday party, so we did. My husband and I designed a Super-G symbol - my son tells me it means "Super Gunner-Man!"- then whatever we could put it on we did! Water bottles, cupcake toppers (of course), drinking cups, and my AMAZINGLY talented friend, Kathleen Tribble, couldn't make it to the party so she dropped off some personalized sugar cookies of Gunner's name and the Super-G!





Once all of our Superheros arrived at Headquarters, saving the world from evil commenced! Each child got to design their own Super-G, K, O, etc . . . and affix it to their cape. I bought the cheapest red and blue shiny fabric I could find and cute out a cape shape. I also had some sticky velcrow tabs parents could help apply, just in case superheros wanted to switch to citizen more than once :)



Our superheros used their super strength to run races, play follow the Superhero leader, and pass a glowing stick of kryptonite - I totally made such a rooky mistake and bought a blue glow stick from the dollar store instead of the green one.





When I asked what kind of cupcakes Gunner wanted for his birthday he said "Colors!" so that's what we did; blue, red, and yellow Super-G cupcakes.



Here's Gunner and little brother Jack consuming cupcakes frosting first, of course!



Anatomy of a Super-G cupcake!



Truth, Justice, and The American Way!

Will you be my Valentine?

Lemon Resolution

Introducing my new Lemon Resolution cupcake. For Details bursting with flavor see below . . .



Lemon Resolution

A Lemon cupcake with white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts (optional, though I highly recommend), and lemon and vanilla swirled butter cream. You can also choose a Raspberry and vanilla swirled butter cream as well.

Winter Market, Come one, Come all!

Happy New Year, 2010!

xoxo The Cupcake Company

2010 here we come . . .

I love New Year's, I haven't always, but somewhere along the way during those trite but necessary 'Get to know you Games,' when they always seem to ask 'What's your Favorite Holiday,' - or at least it seems like they always pose said question in the 'Get to know you Games,' I've been invited to - I really wanted to know what my favorite Holiday was . . . I didn't want to pick Christmas because EVERYONE likes Christmas, it shouldn't be in the running really; it's like flowers or citrus how can you NOT enjoy them. Can't have it be St. Patrick Day's- not green or drunk enough for that. Not Easter, I don't like pale purples and pinks or feeling obligated to eat the hard boiled eggs we've made pretty and pastel. In the end it was a close call between my Birthday and New Years. And since New Years is almost upon us I predictably will say that New Year's is my favorite Holiday, of course . . . if anybody asks . . .
So, Yes, New Years is my favorite Holiday, of course! I love the count down, the lights, Times Square, Midnight kisses and fireworks. It's one of those fantastical Holidays that you would call glamorous instead of debonair should you see it making it's way down the red carpet.

I've been listening to Peter Pan by Jim Dale when I go work out in the mornings (one of my favorite books to re-read or listen to) and it's showing in my post . . . Oh well. Jim Dale is the same narrator who also recorded the Harry Potter series, he's amazing!

Anyways, I also love the introspection, goal-making and renewing that comes along with the New Year. And as I was revisiting my goals from last year and deciding upon my goals for this year. I had an image of the 'We Can Do It!' girl, Rosie the Riveter pop into my head and so thanks to my GENIUS of a husband, Johnny O'Barr, I have this lovely picture to go along with this post. Yes, that is a picture of me and No, my shoulders have not been digitally enhanced they really are that big through no action or preference of my own. The only heavy lifting I do is cupcakes and children; I specifically avoid any weights. The one time I tried to "tone-up," a little I looked like Popeye for months. Some people are blessed with great skin I got man-shoulders.

2010 New Years Resolutions, in no particular order of importance . . .
1. Drink 4 glasses of water every day (more is allowable and encouraged)
2. Always say the nice things you think about others
3. Never suppress a generous thought
4. Try a new cupcake flavor and/or dessert every month (mine or somebody elses)

New Years resolution #4 is in semi-tribute to one of the best New Years resolutions I have ever heard. About Two years ago My husband's friend - we'll call him Steve. Steve's only resolution for that year was to eat a bucket of fried chicken every month, when asked to explain he said he was tired of not keeping his New Year's resolutions every year so he decided to simplify. We are happy to report he was successful in his monthly fried chicken endeavor.

What are your New Year's Resolutions? Experts say self-improvement goals are more likely to be reached if your make between 3 and 7 goals. And it takes something like 21 days to create a new habit, right? If you would like to try a new Cupcake Company flavor every month shoot me an email at:

heidiobarr@yahoo.com
or call 208-360-2272

Full of Cheer! . . .and Ginger!

It's been so busy with catering Christmas parties, family activities, etc . . . and Christmas is just around the corner. Well when you get a chance take a break, do something for yourself, have a girls night or treat yourself to your favorite calorie infested dessert . . . that's what I did. This last Saturday I had a girls night! It was so fun to have friends come over, talk, laugh, and share goodies. I made some yummy mini chocolate cupcakes and my favorite Chewy Gingersnaps - they complimented each other nicely, I must say. These are the ONLY gingersnaps I like and I'm going to share the recipe with you to enjoy! They are so easy and lazy proof; just dump all the ingredients together and mix it up!

Amazing Chewy Gingersnaps
2 cups granulated sugar
1.5 cups softened butter
1/2 cup unsulphored molasses
2 eggs
4.5 cups flour
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1.5 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix it all together, refrigerate for 30 min. Roll into 1 inch balls, roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat before placing on baking sheet. Then bake at 350 for 8-11 minutes, ie till BARELY golden brown. If baked TOO long these Amazing Chewy Gingersnaps may turn into Ginger-SNAPS without the Amazing Chewy part.
So I guess I fibbed . . . just a little though . . . the ONLY hard part about these cookies is baking them for the right amount of time. I usually bake mine for 10 minutes but every oven is different and some people like to make their cookies bigger. I make 1 inch balls which make 2 inch cookies that I bake for about 10 minutes and I'm happy with the result. So you can tweek it a little to get the result you like.
If you would like some Amazing Chocolate cupcakes to go with your Amazing Gingersnaps for your New Year's Eve party or just for fun, give me a call!
The Cupcake Company 208-360-2272

Gift Certificates

Many of you have asked if The Cupcake Company offers gift certificates . . . well . . . we do! I've really enjoyed hearing about all your stocking stuffer ideas for your cupcake-loving friends and family, thank-you for sharing! Merry Christmas and we know that your loved ones will be as excited about The Cupcake Company's gift certificates as we are!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Merry Christmas friends and countrymen! We wish that all of you will have a meaningful Christmas season, full of cheer, kindness, giving and Christ-like love! We celebrate the birth of our Savior and King! May the spirit of Christmas live in your hearts all year long!

The Cupcake Company will be at the Winter Market tomorrow, from 10am - 2pm @ the 1912 center! See you there!