homemade funfetti cupcakes

when i was a little girl, the biggest treat was when my mom would bring home funfetti frosting. i would eat it by the spoonful. those little waxy balls are the best. so i decided to try and make my own funfetti frosting and cake.

i just mixed sprinkles into the cake batter and the frosting. it turned out pretty cool. and now i can make whatever color combination my little waxy-ball-loving-heart desires.

oh yeah, and here is a legitimate picture of our easter eggs. i love the little bunny holder my grandma-in-law gave me.

easter eggs

tonight, for family home evening, the boys and i dyed easter eggs. it was very fun. everything is more exciting with a four year old. tagg was literally having the time of his life. telling me what to draw (mostly bunnies) and trying to make me dye every single egg "turpoise".

sully's little hand holding that egg kiiinda makes me want to eat him. :)

they cant take them away from me

last weekend those mean little girl scouts took away my samoas. and even though i only bought one box this year, i dont like knowing that those amazing toasted-cocounut-caramel-chocolate treats arent around. so i decided to make my own. but a cupcake version of course.

the cupcakes ended up being just as delicious and i love how the frosting ends up looking like i placed a real cookie right on top. so there, girl scouts.

sweet & sour chicken

this is one of my favorite meals. its easy, tagg/sully friendly, and super tasty.

sweet & sour chicken

chicken tenders

cornstarch

sauce

6 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

6 tablespoons sugar

1 cup water

4 carrots

1 bell pepper

4 large mushrooms

1 handful snow peas

1 handful sprouts

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

rinse and cut vegetables into similar size pieces. set aside. cut chicken into one inch pieces. roll in cornstarch. heat oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. when oil is ready, add chicken pieces. stir meat until it is evenly golden brown. remove pan from heat. with slotted spoon remove chicken from oil and drain on paper towels. while the chicken is browning, combine in large saucepan ketchup, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and 1 cup water (i like a good amount of sauce to pieces ratio so i double the sauce recipe). bring to boil. to sauce add hard vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. then add soft vegetables and simmer for 2 minutes more. blend cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water in separate small bowl. add to sauce, cooking and stirring, until sauce becomes thick and translucent. stir in chicken.

serve with steamed rice.

saint patricks day treats

this past week has been so stormy. i love to bake when its gross outside. so i made a couple festive treats for friends and craig's office to enjoy.

craig worked late on monday nite, so tagg and i made these vanilla cupcakes and took them to his/my friends for family home evening. i had fun trying to pipe those mini shamrocks onto the cupcakes. i dont love the stem but i can perfect next year. :)

yesterday, i got the sudden urge to try and make homemade snoballs. they actually werent that hard to make and the marshmallow/meringue frosting was out of this world. and they tasted just like the real thing!

happy saint patricks day.

mike and stasia's amazing reception

on saturday nite, craig and i went to stasia's fantastic wedding reception. the food was incredible. the decorations were perfect. the dress was insane (wish i could married again just to steal her dress and wear it). and the couple was gorgeous.

at one point i was kind of stalking stasia just so i could get a couple close up shots.

those were the rope thingys we made at her bridal shower. they turned out so amazing.

and to make the nite even more special? i got to spend quality time with marissa and kirsten. i was in heaven.

wednesdays with ga

(and no, thats no typo. "ga" is the unfortunate name tagg has given my dad) wednesdays are special days for my boys. its my dad's day off. he comes and picks my boys up to bring them back to his house so they can help with yard work.

sully is such a big boy now. he loves to get in on the action.

happy super tuesday.

heres hoping the yummiest candidate wins.

trip to scottsdale for my mom's 50th

i got back late last nite from a great trip to arizona to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday. we stayed at this amazing resort. i was pinching myself the entire time.

the perk of having an aunt with the name "brooke shields"? having everyone think that the reeeeaaal brooke shields is coming. we got the royal treatment. the free loot and amazing hookups were ALMOST worth the disappointed faces on the staff when they realized we were just normal humans.

the view from our suite.

there is nothing quite like a girls trip.

that evening, we took a golf cart ride (wouldnt DARE burn some calories...) around the grounds to see the beautiful landscaping.

the next morning we enjoyed some righteous room service.

then we relaxed by the pool for the afternoon (just ask my mom how that worked out for her).

after the pool, brooke showed us her favorite treat: a bahama bucks. its a delicious shave ice treat with cream poured on top!

but that wasnt quite enough..... we had to make a stop by in n out.

the next day, we walked around a nearby resort.

they had a gorgeous little orange grove. and i was obsessed with all the stunning bougainvillea. it would almost make living in those odd adobe houses worth it.

that night, we enjoyed one of the best meals (i know i always say that. but THIS time its true!) i have ever had. it was seriously such great mexican food.

i had a wonderful time with my mom and aunts in scottsdale. cant wait to do it again.