Red Velvet Cuppies

I have been on somewhat of a cooking/baking kick lately. When the urge to cook comes over me, I can always count on Food Network, and Epicurious to deliver yummy recipe's. So it's not surprising that this recipe courtesy Food Network didn't disappoint, in fact it has secured a spot in my go-to box for pot lucks, and special occasions.  If you have ever been to Sylvia's in New York, then you will by flying by the seat of your pants to the nearest grocery store to pick up the ingredients for this recipe [hopefully]! If not, you may want to trust me on this one, this is hands down my fav!

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla. Add the batter evenly in the cupcake liners. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool. 

For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter. Beat in confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Use frosting to fill and ice cake.

 Make sure you use a sifter! It makes all the difference :-)

I use a disposable pastry bag to fill the cupcake liners

I add my Wilton cake decorating tip, fill my pastry bag up with room temp frosting, and start adding the frosting to the outside of the cupcake first

 ....Working my way towards the middle

I added little candy hearts on top!

Enjoy!

New Friends

Hi Everyone,

I hope you had a good weekend. I have to DVR Saturday Night Live some weeks, because I have old farts disease. I definitely can't stay up and Party like I use to :( I thought these clips were so funny so I decided to share them with you so you can start your week off with a laugh. On Saturday when I took Abby to the nook where I like to walk her I finally noticed a huge sign, no dogs allowed, so I went down to the Plymouth waterfront with her. It was nice out and you could see a lot of people were out and about. Abby and I made new friends. Brittany and Juno. Hope to see them again sometime. I also wanted to share a picture of the beautiful Plymouth Shore. I love living here.

Thanks for visiting my blog,

Have a good day,

Janet :)

My Bri

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. I am doing great. I just love teasing my Bri while I shoot video of her. She also knows at her young age that I am just teasing her and she teases me back. She was so happy to come up this day and see me and Abby :) Christa crashed into my new table next to the couch if you noticed me saying something to her. It's not my fault if she can't pay attention LOL! Love you all the same Christa :)

Thanks for visiting my blog today,

Have a Happy Sunday,

Janet :)

Procrastination is the Grave in Which Opportunity is Buried

[source: Snippets of Wisdom]

One of the major forces standing in my way has been my fear in venturing off into the deep abyss of the unknown. I have truly been afraid of stepping out on faith, so I stay within my comfort zone. When I look at the body of work from people like Martin Luther King Jr. and the likes, there is one common thread that tightly weaves them all together. That thread is FAITH.

Why was I standing in my own way? Why was I allowing my fear of failure to order my steps? Furthermore, why did I not have FAITH in myself? If I did not have faith in myself, who else would?

Instead of clinging to stagnant beliefs like a life preserver, I decided to take more of a positive, proactive approach towards life. More importantly, I wanted to practice daily acts of faith in order to prepare myself to step into that abyss that I have so vehemently been avoiding.

Here are a few books that will help with procrastination, organization, productivity, and entrepreneurship:


The 25 Best Time Management Tools & Techniques: How to Get More Done Without Driving Yourself Crazy


Get Your Act Together: A 7-Day Get-Organized Program for the Overworked, Overbooked, and Overwhelmed

Getting Organized: Improving Focus, Organization and Productivity

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Pick up one [or all]!!

Here's to the possibilities!

The Social Media Bible

[Gotta love the new "green" shopping bags from Barnes & Noble]

 

This weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Jane Carter of The Jane Carter Solution [interview coming next week], and during the course of the interview, we actually got a chance to talk sans hair related topics. It was at that time that Jane mentioned she recently started reading The Social Media Bible. 

 

2 Days, and $32 dollars later; I found myself sitting on my bed flipping through 800 pages of comprehensive information geared towards guiding your business towards the upper echelon. This book is a must have for small business owners, as it takes the mystique and complexity out of Social Media Marketing.

Things That Make You Feel Good

Hi Everyone,
Happy Friday!! I am so excited that Tiger is going to be speaking out his ass today! Sorry, he is just sorry he got caught and he needs to get back to golfing for the money. I think I will keep on the movie channel today. I have been hypnotised by the bollywood music. Now I cruise to it, the only problem is I want to start doing the moves, I have to work on that. I have a great boss, she gave me the whole weekend off and today as well and I didn't even ask for it, I need this break after Wednesday's counseling appointment, I posted about it on SNM. This weekend I will be going to the Y and getting my grove on. Lisa who hired me is going to join me too, we get along great, she is a hoot! I wanted to share with any of you who are out there and struggling to quit smoking. I used the patch and I got a e cigarette. It is organic. The combo worked great for me. I have been trying to quit for good since I saw Wendy and Elsie suffer and die from lung cancer. I quit, then I slip up but this time Pete has quit too so I truly feel I will not go back. Plus I feel so much better when I work out and can breathe so much better. I will get rid of the stick eventually too. Yesterday was nice out and between the boys of summer being back and getting to walk Abby around the nook, a beach area close to my house, it helped lift my spirits back up. I wanted to share this loving kindness meditation with you. I hope you all have a great day.
Thanks for visiting my blog,
Take Care,
Janet :)

Things that make you feel good
Cultivating positive emotions can prepare us for the hard times to come. By finding more ways to let happiness in, we strengthen our heart muscle and find that when the tough times come, as they inevitably will, we can deal with them more skillfully. Spend some time thinking of things that truly make you fell happy. Make a mental list or write these activities down. Not only can you experience joy in this moment by thinking of these things, you can also go out and do them! The next time you're down in the dumps or dealing with a particularly challenging situation, you can call on the strength you developed from doing things that make you feel good. So starting today, think of those things that make you happy and tomorrows issues will be all the easier to deal with. Always live, laugh and love and you will send it out to those around you. In even the smallest of smiles you bring joy and happiness to others. What a good thing!

Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow – Imogen Cunningham

[my favorite shot - till tomorrow]

I received a lot of emails lately about the type of camera I use for shooting, and the equipment necessary to begin taking good photos. By no means am I a professional. Quite the contrary; I picked up my first DSLR last year, and have been in love with capturing moments in time ever since. It really allows me to see the beauty in every day life, to sit back and smile at a moment I would have otherwise forgotten about. Life's simple pleasures. It is easy to get caught up in "things", and in doing so we forget about the beauty that surrounds us, and even the beauty that radiates from the energy of others.

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I shoot everything with my Nikon D60, and the standard 18-55 lens. The camera and lens combo will run you about $600, but if you plan on traveling, taking up photography, starting a business, or have a blog you want to showcase some of your photojournalism on, the price can definitely be justified in my opinion. You can even start off by purchasing a refurbished Nikon D60 body [varies from $399 on up] from a reputable camera shop [add a warranty too], and buy the lens new [varies from $99].
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I also have a Hoya Polarizing UV filter [$20.00] that is on my camera at all times when I shoot. I use this to filter out light, enhance the the sky, clouds, and landscaping. Filters also help to reduce reflections from certain surfaces, such as glass, and water. A lens filter is also handy because it protects the lens.
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With just those two purchases, you can begin taking photos like the ones below. I took these while attending a march protesting Immigration Bills just a few days after purchasing my camera!
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Have fun, find out if you really dig photography. If you do, there are lots of goodies [some very expensive goodies] that are out there to enhance your experience. A nice little starter kit would include:

• A Nice Sturdy Tripod
• Remote control - Perfect for self-portraits or shooting in certain conditions where you need absolutely no movement.
• External Flash
• Camera Bag
• Wide Angle Lens
• Nikon D60 Book - This book has helped me out IMMENSELY. Even today, it remains an indispensable tool.