click each picture to browse the collections. enjoy :)

the other night i was on pinterest and came across these orange muffins. since i’ve been on a clean-out-fridge-kick this week, i immediately marched into the kitchen and starting zesting and juicing the last of my clementines. it was 10:30 at night and i wanted muffins. nothing holds me back. you may think i’m nuts, but nighttime is when i usually do most of my baking anyway.

when i looked over the recipe, the flour to sugar ratio made me a little nervous. i was afraid they wouldn’t be sweet enough. i simply added a half cup more sugar. and so so glad i did. they are the perfect amount of sweet. these muffins are like little clouds… fluffy and moist from the sour cream. i love any recipe with sour cream. it makes everything so much better. ya know?

for the glaze… i realize you’re probably thinking- what glaze? i know. you can barely see it because i drizzled it on while the muffins were still warm. it was pushing midnight and i was ready to try a bite. also, i only used a cup of sugar to compensate for the added sugar in the mix. again, the perfect amount of sweet.

these are a heavenly treat for anytime of day. now, please excuse me while i go have another with my tea :)

these ava wedge sandals have been on my wishlist foreva! i love them.  the price… not so much.

i’ll take these wakana sandals in brown and heck, black too. they’re not the exact same color as the ava’s, but for the price can i really complain?!

two years ago i made these peep cupcakes. pretty cute, right? this time i used my fave coconut cake recipe from cooks illustrated. and i used ina’s recipe for the buttercream frosting. we’ll be enjoying these cuties tomorrow at our family’s big Easter feast. can’t wait!

have a beautiful Easter weekend everyone!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

we had bananas going bad last week. really bad, like black bad. i almost threw them away, but instead stuck them in the fridge until it got closer to the weekend. we had family coming to town for a visit. i usually make banana muffins or bread, but this time i opted for a simple bundt cake. i used a recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours by dorie greenspan. everything of dorie’s is insane and this cake is no exception. it’s ridiculously moist and delicious. i honestly can’t say i’ve ever had better. simple as simple gets and i absolutely love it that way. i’m just afraid to tell you how many slices i’ve enjoyed with coffee over the last week!

i got lucky and found the recipe, although i highly recommend you buy the cookbook.

p.s. black bananas really do make the BEST baked goods!

a bunch of pussy willow branches in an old galvanized bucket, sitting pretty in the vestibule. lovin’ my new blue willow tapers…

porcelain easter eggs from husband’s grandmother. i placed in a little egg crate. perfect.

red tulips, fern, hyacinth in burlap bag in dining room. notice them leaning toward the sun…

couldn’t be more thrilled with my new floral drapes and veggie prints. they make me smile every time i walk in the room.

i’m off to enjoy this beautiful spring day. happy wednesday!

today we welcomed spring with some lovely meyer lemon gelato. gelato is the italian form of ice cream. it’s very creamy yet slightly dense with a more intense flavor. gelato holds a very special place in my heart. i have such fond memories eating all of the yummy flavors while visiting italy years ago. i even saved one of the cute pink spoons they served it with, although i have no idea where it is now :)

i’ve been working on finishing up my bags of meyer lemons that i got last month. i wanted to make something non-baked and refreshing so gelato it was. the recipe i found online calls for a cup of lemon juice. i rolled up my sleeves, got busy and squeezed and squeezed. here’s proof…

the process of making this (or any ice cream) is somewhat involved, but totally worth it. to save a little bit of time, i skipped the ice bath. after whisking and tempering the egg mixture with milk and cream, i cooled the custard in the fridge for about an hour before freezing in the ice cream maker.

this meyer lemon gelato is something quite incredible. refreshing, tangy, sweet and perfectly creamy. happy spring everyone!

i wanted to share a snippet of my dining room. my grandparents gave me some of their silver platters a few months ago. i stuck them on the empty wall in the dining room late one night really quick. i just used some heavy duty double coated foam tape. two pieces for the bigger trays. i’ve been wanting to fill this wall with artwork and these platters worked perfect with the space… fit the bill too (free). could this be the start of a new collection??

the tray at the bottom with the etched retriever was made by my dad as a young boy. the one below was a gift from my dad and his siblings to my grandparents for their anniversary. love.

i’ll be sharing more of my dining room soon and our basement renovations. it’s nice having the room somewhat back again. remember this is what it looked like for 5 months!

it’s a tradition. every year i make chocolate stout and irish cream cupcakes. this year i tried a new recipe. it’s just as great as the last. they are the best cupcakes you will ever ever taste. i do not lie. make them today. and crack open an extra bottle while you bake… or sip some irish cream.

you’ll be happy you did :)

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day everyone!

i made samoa cupcakes. the end.

ok, not really. i’d also like to say that samoas are my absolute favorite girl scout cookie of all. i hear the girls scouts just celebrated their 100th birthday on monday (the 12th). too bad i’m three days late to the party. booo.

i’ve been meaning to try these cupcakes for a really long time now. last year, i made the bar version of the cookie. sooo good. on saturday we went to a new friend’s house and i took these along. i pretty much created my own version, although there’s tons of recipes out there. just google “samoa cupcakes” and you’ll see. i used my favorite chocolate recipe and added 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract. for the frosting, i made my caramel cream cheese frosting then drizzled some salted caramel and bittersweet chocolate. can’t forget the toasted coconut flakes on top. you gotta make these cupcakes if you love samoas as much as me.

now i must run and go make st. patty’s day cupcakes. see ya tomorrow!

Samoa Cupcakes
For the cake:
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk or whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil (i used pure olive oil, not extra virgin)
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup boiling water

For the frosting:
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons homemade caramel sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffins cups with liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.  Add the eggs, milk, oil and coconut extract into a mixer and beat on medium speed, 2 minutes. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Stir in the boiling water. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners (about 3/4 full). Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Remove the cupcakes from the tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until it is completely smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined. Add the sugar and the caramel and beat until smooth. Be careful not to over beat the frosting or it will lose structure. You can frost with a pastry bag and the largest tip you can find or your preferred method.

Drizzle caramel and about 6 ounces of melted chocolate chips on top. Then top with toasted coconut, about 1 cup. enjoy.