Cupcake Fail

Last night we thought about getting a cupcake from a cupcake shop. But I felt like $3 is a lot to spend on a mediocre cupcake, when I could make 12 mediocre cupcakes at home for practically free! 

Anyway, I decided to try a new recipe. 

Mmmmm....don't these look yummy!

The recipe called for molasses as the sweetener...a whole cup of molasses. I guess I should have realized then that these would not taste right, but the batter smelled kind of like chocolate covered malt balls, and who doesn't like those? Also, molasses is probably better for you than regular sugar. Marshall tasted the batter, and well, his expression said it all. I reassured him that they would taste better after they are baked. Wrong. They were so gross.

Even with Mounds of whipped cream. 

What a disappointment.

I had to redeem myself. So, I made another batch of chocolate cupcakes. And boy were they tasty!

Here is the link to the recipe from the NY Times.

Excursions

Ah, the weekend...it goes by so fast. 

We started off the weekend by going to the farmers market at PSU. I love this place! I especially love all the pastries and prepared foods - the fruits and veggies are good too :)

Made to order drip coffee. 

I have a chocolate panini and Q has a sugar covered yeast roll
(this might explain why I'm getting so fat).

Huevos Rancheros. Look at that bacon!

Sunday (today) we had planned on going to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, but not all the tulips are in bloom, so we decided to go to breakfast at the Hands on Cafe at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. Excellent decision - it was delicious! Fruit sprinkled with ginger sugar, sweet breads, and then the main course.

Marshall's omelet. He didn't want to take a picture of my fennel fritters because I had taken a potato off the plate...whatever.

After our meal we explored the campus. Q had a blast walking on the gravel paths and throwing flower petals (I think she's preparing for her role as a flower girl - don't disappoint her Auntie Kerri).

Showering herself with flower petals

Annoying Marshall by getting in his shot

He likes to take pictures without people.

Hope everyone had a great weekend too! Looking forward to the next one!

I am a sewing MACHINE! Part 2

On Monday I decided to start a new sewing project. A sweet little pinafore for my sweet little Quinnie. I got the pattern from the book One Yard Wonders (which I bought for $22 and is now on sale on Amazon for $13.49 ahhhh!). Anyway...It looked so simple, but of course it wasn't. I ripped out a lot of hair seams that day. 

Huh...It would probably look a lot better if I had ironed it...oh well.

 On to the next project! Today (I guess it's yesterday now) I was browsing craft blogs and I came across this cute summer dress from Freshly Picked. It looked so easy I just had to make it! It took maybe an hour and a half and I finished it before Q woke up from her nap.

I think the dress will look much better without all the layers of clothing underneath. It might be a while though...there were 28 days of rain in March and somehow I doubt April will be much better.

I am a sewing MACHINE!

I've been sewing up a storm these past couple of days. I got a brand new sewing machine and I decided to break it in by making a little credit card holder from some fabric scraps. So, I traced my credit cards on a piece of paper and made my own little pattern. It turned out ok.

My next project was to make a bed spread for Q. I had all this heart fabric that I bought at Ikea, but I didn't want to just use that for her bedspread, so I found some super cute fabric at a fabric boutique called Bolt in Portland. I didn't buy enough of it, so I went to the Craft Warehouse and bought the green polka dot fabric. I felt like there was still something missing though, so I went to Jo-Anns and bought some ruffles. I made the pillow case out of the remaining heart fabric and ruffles. I love how it turned out!

Well, I couldn't stop after that - I had all this sewing confidence! So I picked a purse pattern out of a book I bought called One Yard Wonders. So....It was a lot more complicated than I thought it would be (there went all my new found confidence)...oh well, I managed to finish it and it turned out pretty cute too!

I even put in some fancy magnetic snap buttons. 

Sew, I think that's it for now (hahaha). I need a sewing break. 

Meemoo and PawPaw

Meemoo and PawPaw came to visit us for the first time since we moved to Portland!

First we went to the Waffle Window...

then to Powell's Books...

After Powell's we were hungry again and went to check out the food carts, but first we needed money from the ATM...

This is my mom trying not to get worked up because she doesn't understand what's going on LOL

Q and PawPaw trying to decide what to eat.

On Saturday we went to the Saturday Market and saw a bunch of crazies in costumes running down the street yelling. I guess they were just doing their part to keep Portland weird.

Well, the fun couldn't last forever. It was time to get down to work...

Painting the living room.

After a long day of playing tourist and painting, Marshall and I went out on our date night. It was my very first night away from Q ever! We had a nice Peruvian dinner at Andina and were surrounded by people with babies, 

then went to see "The Lieutentant of Inishmore"

 and then stayed at the Hotel Monaco. I think the best part was the leopard and zebra print robes.

Sunday we painted all day.

Getting ready to repaint the ugly orange color I wasted hard earned money on.

Monday was Meemoo and PawPaw's last day. So to complete their trip we went to Voodoo Doughnuts, because no trip to Portland is complete without going to Voodoo Doughnuts (who wouldn't want to try a maple bar covered in cold bacon?).

Thanks for coming to visit us Meemoo and PawPaw! We miss you already!

Recovery

After what felt like the longest week ever of being sick with the flu and bronchitis we are all on the road to recovery, hopefully. And despite being so sick and almost coughing up a lung (and I know he was tired of all my nagging), Marshall was able to get a couple things done around the house.

He put up the coat rack

2 shelves

and the shower rod (I put up the curtain)

Sick of Being Sick and French Toast

Ugh. We were all sick on Monday with the flu. It was awful :( It seems like every other week we are sick and I am sick of it!

On a happier note: Sunday we had a delicious breakfast of vegan french toast.

Vegan french toast! What?! How can that be? You need eggs to make french toast!

We are not vegan, but we like to eat that way when we can. Also, I've somehow become kind of allergic to eggs. But anyway, here is the recipe for vegan french toast that I've adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch" 

1 baguette or bread of choice

3 tbs corn starch

6 tbs brown rice flour (or any flour maybe)

1 or 2 tbs sugar

a pinch of salt

some cinnamon 

1 1/2 cups soy milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

oil for the pan

Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the wet ingredients and mix some more. Let the bread soak in the batter for a little while. Heat the pan to medium, grease it, add the bread and cook until golden brown on both sides. Buon Appetito!