Pina Colada Cupcakes

I am so ready for Spring, but apparently New England is not.  It's been a cold, dreary day and we're supposed to get a big storm tomorrow.  More snow, are you serious?  To tell you the truth I would love to be somewhere tropical right now but since that's not going to happen I decided to bring the tropics to my kitchen ;)  I'm hosting girls night tonight so I decided to make my pina colada cupcakes.  Girls night is always a lot of fun and I figure pina colada cupcakes and margaritas will re-assure everyone that the warm weather will eventually get here!

Spring Time Lemon Napoleon

The one thing that comes to mind when I think of Spring is a new beginning.  The warm weather puts me in a good mood and I'm ready to take on new projects.  I usually tackle at least one home decorating project, and I try to get rid of all the clutter in my house and my life!  This usually starts with me cleaning out my dressing room which by the way is really just an excuse to make room for all the new shoes I want to add to my collection :)

Irish Tiramisu

I absolutely LOVE tiramisu! It's probably one of my all time favorite desserts, it's definitely in my top five! Tiramisu to me is kind of like that one guy you met years ago that made you completely weak in the knees.  You know the one that no matter how much time goes by you would probably go weak again...  Yeah that's me and tiramisu, I have no defenses at all!  Okay but seriously there is a very fine line when making a perfect tiramisu.

Irish Brown Bread

Since St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner I decided to make my favorite brown bread.  I've never been a big fan of Irish soda bread, but a few years ago I tried Peggy's brown bread and absolutely loved it! Peggy is my mom's best friend from Cavan, Ireland, and she's like another mom to me.  More importantly she has become a friend and I'm lucky that she is part of my life.  I always look forward to stopping at Peggy's house when I go home for a cup of tea and girl talk!  When my mom and Peg come visit me in Boston for our annual girl's weekend, it's always a fun time full of good food, shopping, and a lot of laughs!  A few months ago I asked Peggy for this recipe and she was kind enough to share it with me.

Care Packages

So basically if I like you I feed you if I don't well you can figure it out... Now I know this may be hard to believe but sometimes I have a hard time saying things.  If you're in my life I have most likely fed you, I probably have a nick name for you, and I probably even have a song for you as well.  Okay enough of that, I'm killing my sarcastic image here.  Basically the best way I know how to show someone I care is to bake for them, and that usually translates into sending them a care package.  Often I'll send a care package for someone's birthday or Christmas.  Sometimes there's a deeper meaning such as I'm sorry... or I was thinking about you.  I find they make people happy, and that makes me so happy :)