Cupcake Tuesday-Strawberry Banana

Ah Tuesday, welcome back to Tuesday everyone!  

My niece turned 1 a month or so ago and we had a party for her this weekend.  Now as you can imagine I'm the baker in the family so I got to make her some delicious cupcakes!  She loves fruit so we went with Strawberry Banana and we also used some fondant and made a sock! 

I was pretty pleased with the result, considering that decorating is NOT my specialty.  And it was so fun to see my beautiful little niece smashing her cupcake into her mouth eating her cupcake.  I loved it!

So this recipe is super simple (do I say that about all of them?).  It's a banana cupcake with strawberry cream cheese frosting.  Yum!

Banana Cupcakes
makes 24
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
salt
vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mashed banana

Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 cupcake pans.

In a large bowl whip the butter and sugar using a mixer, this will take about two minutes, you want it to be light and smooth.  Once the butter is whipped, add in the eggs, one at a time.  Mix for about a minute, or until well combined.

Next, add in the vanilla and salt to taste (I'm bad and don't measure either, ever) followed by the baking soda and baking powder.

Now mesure your flour as well as your sour cream and banana.  Add in about 1/3 of the flour and mix until just combined.  Then, add in all of the sour cream.  Follow this with another addition of 1/3 of the flour and then the mashed banana.  Add the last 1/3 of the flour and mix until combined.

Once mix, scrape the sides and mix one last time to make sure that everything is incorporated.

Scoop into the lined cupcake pans filling each one about 2/3 full, or using a 2 oz. ice cream scoop.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8 ounce blocks cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 1/2 tablespoons strawberry jam
3-4 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl cream together the cream cheese and butter using a mixer.  Once those two are well mixed and a bit light, add in the strawberry jam and mix well.

Now, start adding in powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  I always taste as a go to avoid over sweetening the frosting.

When it has reached a nice consistency and flavor, scoop into a piping bag and pipe on to the cooled cupcakes (you can also just use a knife/spatula to frost them).

Decorate as you please and enjoy!

In other news, I used this fondant recipe.

Love,

Keely

Weekly wrap up

So we're back and I'm sure you're sick of me saying this but this was a wonderful, beautiful week!  Nothing helps to teach you how loved you are better than a birthday!  People band together to celebrate with you and love on you.

I had a great week of outings, great food and drink and fabulous community!

I am so blessed!



Check out the beautiful flowers for sale at Whole Foods.  I didn't buy anything, but like any devoted Instagramer I did stop for a photo :)



After work on Friday I went out for a coffee, I loved the flower on the table :)



Birthday party prep (I'm the nerd who bakes my own cupcakes).  That right there my friends is a lot of cream cheese, butter and sour cream, I'm making about 60 cupcakes for the weekend!



My niece and nephew stayed at my parents house on Saturday night, what a cute moment they had on Sunday morning.  They're kind of my favorite.



I love when I get to snuggle a bit with my niece.  She's such a sweetie!



I did some gluten free baking and what a smashing success!  They actually rose!  (Recipe coming in June :))



Here are those same gluten free cupcakes nice and frosted.



Working Closet challenged us to a 30 day "get dressed" challenge.  This was day one (conveniently my birthday, so I totally wanted to look adorable anyway!  Can you believe that dress is from a thrift store, love!)



My sister took me out to lunch and grabbed me this finger tattoos from a vending machine.  So much fun to be had!



Look at how crafty my co-worker is!  She made this bouquet for me out of duct tape for my birthday!



All the wonderful treats I got on my birthday :)



The wonderful people who went out for birthday drinks with me.



Get dressed day 2



Get dressed day 3 (playing with stripes, I think it works).



I got to do some shopping!  I'm moving out, hooray!  Check out all those towels (I bought everything for my bathroom this week at Ross and TJ Maxx, score!)



A delicious birthday treat with my wonderful friend.  Thank you Keegan Gerhard!



Get dressed day 4



My sister and I out at my birthday dinner, I posted this picture a bit late.

Ah what a week!  It's been so busy but so wonderful, I wouldn't trade it for the world.  There is so much more to come!

I hope you had a beautiful week as well, and if not then I hope that next week you can find joy even in just the small things. Enjoy!

Love,

Keely

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday musings

Wow! I cannot believe that it has been a year since my 21st birthday! Looking back I see how much my life has changed. I graduated college, I went to Europe, I've become part of such a wonderful community that I never imagined being a part of!

It's bittersweet to see how much my relationships have changed, who I choose to spend the most time with, etc.

I made a list in the middle of last year of 21 things to accomplish before I turn 22. I accomplished 15 of them (remember this was only in 6 months) I think that's pretty good! It was also my first time doing a list like that.

Ok, enough excuses! Time to reveal the new list! 22 before 23! This time I have a whole year to get this done! Ready, set, go!

22 before 23
1. Take a bartending class
2. Get a tattoo
3. Buy a stranger a cup of coffee
4. Serve dinner to the homeless
5. Go somewhere I've never been
6. Climb a 14er
7. Go snowboarding
8. Watch the sunset with someone I love
9. Go to 5 concerts
10. Bake a real cake
11. Do 15 pushups, on my toes
12. Get another ear piercing (I know just where I want it)
13. Take a cake decorating class
14. Stay up to date with Hair Bows and Butter
15. Throw a dinner party
16. Take a dance class
17. Try 17 new craft beers
18. Pitch 3 new show ideas
19. Start planning an international trip
20. Keep a 1 in 1 out policy with shirts
21. Read the whole Bible (I'm already almost done with Genesis)
22. Take care of myself

Whimsical Wednesday-Week 1

I love May.  May is a good month.  It's spring time and it's beautiful.  The flowers are blooming and there is just so much joy...plus it's my birthday month!  Which makes it all even better!

Here are a few things that caught my eye this week.



This double bun is adorable, and so easy!  For a tutorial click here.



I also love this crossed fishtail.  I'm working on figuring it out for you...maybe there's a tutorial in the future :)



I'm gathering the necessary items to make this "hair necklace."  You can find the tutorial here.



via



via

This little mini bundts were so adorable that they inspired me to order my own mini bundt pan.  I'm so excited and I don't think I can wait until next week for it to come...but I guess I have no choice!  It's going to be a whole new world of baking and I can't wait to tackle it!

Well, there you have it, hair and baking, two of my favorite things.  There wasn't a ton that caught my attention this week, but these few things are enough to totally inspire me.

I also find myself inspired by some of the most random things.  The realization that April 30 was "Oatmeal Cookie Day" got my mind reeling, developing an Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcake (recipe to come).  It's more than just pictures that inspire me, it's real life!  The little details can be huge sources of inspiration, so pay attention~

Love,

Keely