Thursday, December 27, 2012

Starting Up Sweetly


The older I become, the quicker time goes by.  I can close my eyes and revisit the places I have traveled in an instant.  My senses recount my overseas home as though I had visited recently.  It has been several years since I have been back in the States and I have a new appreciation for the quirks that inhabit Minnesota.  Since being home, life became increasingly busy.  I found myself lost in seas of paperwork and in a constant race to not fall behind on weekly tasks in my Master’s program and work.  The holidays seemed the perfect time to zen out and update my blog. 
I remember really enjoying writing when I was living in England.  Picking back up the hobby seemed like a splendiferous way to celebrate my newfound freedom from chaos (I completed my Master’s coursework, quit my job for an internship, and took 3 weeks off over the holidays to revive).
My last blog post (On London Time) concluded with a satisfaction that I had a reflective growth spurt and could officially cook a 4-star meal from a microwave.  Such impressive progress….
While my microwave skills wax and wane depending on the delicacy, I have been practicing my baking skills.  I wanted to share with you some of my favorite treats made this year.  Although there have been quite a few, I chose my top 3 favorites.  So it is with light-hearted holiday cheer, may I please present: treats not made from a microwave! 



Mummy cupcakes and Pretzel Skeleton Fingers
These were made for Halloween this year.  The fingers are pretzels with a vanilla and chocolate candy.



 Mini-Brains
Made for my lovely psychology classmates.  These are buttercream cupcakes with frosting applied to look like a brain.  For an added bit of fun, I displayed the brains "under glass" and with labels.




Peppermint Stir-Sticks
Perfect for a cup of hot cocoa during the winter!  Super easy to make and they look festive when company is over.  (Confession: I used a microwave for this one...)  Chocolate dipped peppermint sticks!  Nummy! 


 I am thrilled to be writing again!  I hope your remaining 2012 days are sweet and the New Year brings happy surprises!