Coke Float! {Cupcakes}

This summer I had some fun baking projects! The jelly making came before my quick trip to Oklahoma and the next project came after it!

COKE FLOAT CUPCAKES!!!

My good friend, and distant cousin, Connie provided the inspiration for these cupcakes! Connie and I go back as long as I can remember. We are only 6 months apart and lived 2 miles apart for the first 18 years of our lives. We spent as much time together as possible. Our moms did everything together, including making jelly, and so did we. I could write a rather large book about all the mischief we got into and the good times we had, but that isn’t what I’m writing about today! We now live hundreds of miles apart, but we still share a special affinity towards baking.

This was after one of our first “solo” baking endeavors. We made cinnamon rolls for my dad, who ate them graciously. I’m surprised no one broke any teeth, but that was a long time ago. We have gotten better (at least I hope!)

So, naturally, when Connie sent me a text asking for my opinion on some cupcakes she was making, I loved her idea so much I had to try my own! This is my tale on “Coke Float Cupcakes!”

I found a very simple chocolate “coke” cupcake recipe and then made a “coke” buttercream and topped with a stabilized whipped cream and cherry.

I found the cupcake recipe here.. It is a simple recipe, just spray your paper liners with cooking spray or your cupcakes may stick. These were good, but you couldn’t taste the Coke much with the chocolate. If I make them again, I’ll try using a vanilla cake as the base instead of chocolate. I hear you can even use a white cake mix and a can of Coke +eggs? to make cupcakes that actually taste more like Coke.

The butter cream was really good! It wasn’t as sweet as typical buttercream and it tasted like you were eating a can of Coke! It was awesome…and super simple!!!

Take 1 stick of butter, 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and mix them until smooth. Then start adding Coke in tiny amounts, very slowly until you can’t add any more. Everytime you add some, it will slosh around really weird in the mixer bowl, but keep it going and when it’s full absorbed, add some more! If I remember right, I added about 1/4 cup of Coke.

Then I topped my frosted cupcakes with a stabilized whipped cream and cherry, added straws and sprinkles and viola! Coke Float Cupcakes!!

If you would like to check out some of Connie’s cakes, and even order from her, then check out her Facebook page! Connie’s Sweet Cakes

Jelly Jammin!

I realize I’ve been posting a lot of “thankfulness” posts, but I haven’t posted any of the cool things I’ve been doing over the past 5 or 6 months! I have to correct that! So, I’m going to start with this:

JELLY!!!!!

This summer, as I was out preparing for my first 5k, I noticed all of the wild grapes on the vines by the church parking lot. This reminded me of all the blackberry, dewberry, and sand plum jelly my mom and Dottie used to make when I was a kid. I also remembered all of the possum grapes we used to pick on the side of Waco & Fishmarket road before someone cleared the fence line to put in a new fence. These vivid memories of my childhood made me want to do 2 things: get to picking grapes and make some jelly!

I quickly consulted my friend Erin, who knows everything there is to know about native plants. She informed me the grapes were in fact grapes and not poisonous, but very sour. She said they make the best grape jelly. When I told her what I wanted to do, she jumped onboard and picked grapes in other locations so we would have plenty!

As we “researched” recipes and methods of making and canning our own grape concoction, we came to the realization that we needed help. Desperately. What came to my mind was the passage in Titus about the older women teaching the younger women. It may be a stretch to think the apostle Paul was talking about how to make grape jelly, but isn’t grape jelly a necessity in a well-run modern household? 😊 Needless to say, we brought in our dear friend Margie and she was the keys to our success!

Erin and I had a blast, Margie was an AWESOME teacher, and the outcome was incredible!!! We definitely could not have done this, with as much success, if Margie had not been there, showing us the ropes, and letting us use her jelly making supplies!

Here are some pictures of our fun evening! I wasn’t able to take pictures the entire process, but I got most of it!

Filling the jars….

And half of the finished product!

Or should I say this is the finished product?

Being Thankful (Days 17-22)

Wow! I’m really behind in posting from my little book!! Lets see how many I can post from my list right now!

Day 17
50. Fun work environment
51. “The calm after the storm.”

Day 18 10-23-2012
52. Scott! Today is our 8th anniversary! It doesn’t seem that long ago, but it also seems a lifetime away. I feel really blessed for these years and hope to have many many more.
53. One of the reasons why I feel so blessed is how generous Scott is!
54. Date nights! It just good to go out and have fun without having a little one to take care of!

Day 19 10-24-12
55. Extra work! This means a bigger paycheck and more fun at the preschool!
56. Wednesday Bible class.

Day 20
57. Honesty
58. Fun family nights out. It’s also fun to take Jackson out to just have a fun evening!

Day 21
59. Jana Alayra DVDs! The kids LOVE her music! I think it’s pretty fun too. She has some great songs for kids with some really good messages.
60. Great co-workers. Not everyone can say this, but I work with a GREAT group of ladies!
61. Warm clothes. It’s fall and the temps are occasionally cooler. On those days I am so thankful I have been blessed with warm clothing.

Day 22 10-27-12
62. Contemplative time alone. Sometimes a person just needs that time alone to think.
63. Time to bake! I lOVE this time!!
64. Parties!!! Who doesn’t love a fun party with fire?!?!