Everyfruit Cupcakes

OH MY GOD! I ALMOST DIED THEY'RE SO GOOD! Ha ha.



Now that I got that out there...

When I came up with the idea to make these, I thought it was surely going to be too much going on. I was sooooo wrong. They are perfect, with or without the lime glaze. The citrus in every part ties it all together really well. And, while these aren't the healthiest thing I've baked as of late... They were the most delicious! My dad gobbled down three at once and my mom literally licked her plate clean (it was kinda ridiculous). I want to eat at least a thousand of these right now... at least. Ha ha.

The best part was eating these cupcakes while watching Cupcake Wars on food network. Ha ha. So fun.

And, since facebook feedback seemed about equal between cake and tarts... I made extra blueberry filling to use in a Peach-Blueberry Tart that I plan to make in the next few days. :)



Blueberry Filling
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 pint blueberries
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Orange Cupcake Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick Smart Balance 50/50 Blend
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cups vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup light soymilk
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest

Lime Glaze
Zest of 1 small lime
Juice of two small limes
About 3 cups of powdered sugar

To prepare the Blueberry Filling:
1) Bring water and 1/2 cup OJ to a boil on medium heat.
2) Add orange zest, blueberries, and sugar and allow to simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. I was terrible about keeping track of how long it was really there, but that sounds about right.
3) Mix cornstarch into remaining 1 tablespoon OJ until it is completely smooth and dissolved.
4) Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into blueberries.
5) Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 25 minutes (stir every 5 minutes or so).
6) I had to raise the heat back to medium for a bit to thicken up... But, basically, just watch the blueberries and when they've reached a thick, almost jelly like consistency, remove the filling from the heat.

To prepare Orange Batter:
Preheat Oven to 350*
1) Sift together dry ingredients.
2) In a separate bowl, beat together Smart Balance and sugar until smooth.
3) Beat in eggs one at a time.
4) Alternate adding flour mixture and yogurt/soymilk a little bit at a time.
5) Add in extract, OJ, and zest and mix just until all ingredients have been combined.
6) Prepare cupcake pan (or cute little bundtcake-like pans like I tried to use) by spraying with non-stick baking spray or lining with cupcake papers.
7) Spoon batter into pan only about 1/3 full.
8) Spoon blueberry filling into middle on top of batter.
9) Cover blueberries with some more battery goodness.
10) Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

To prepare Lime Glaze:
1) Zest lime into bowl.
2) Juice limes into the bowl (watch for seeds!)
3) Wisk in powdered sugar until smooth and sweet.
4) Drizzle over cooled cupcakes (or, as was the case with my parents and I, drizzle it on warm cupcakes... or just eat the cupcakes plain).

Now revel in the glory of these fruity treats. :)

Strawberry Banana Muffins

I made up the recipe for the muffins as an experiment yesterday. I'm not so sure I like baking with the agave yet. I guess I haven't figured out exactly how much to use. I appreciate the lower glycemic index and etc etc that agave has to offer, but at least the brand of syrup I used wasn't all that great. Hrm.

Overall, I think these came out a little bit drier than I wanted, but everyone else liked them. I had one this morning with a little bit of Smart Balance Peanut Butter smeared on it. Pretty good. :)

Let me know if you have any ideas to make them more moist.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

1/4 cup strawberries
1 banana
2 eggs
1 cup low-fat Vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup Organic Blue Agave Syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole-wheat flour (leveled)
1/2 cup organic soy flour (leveled)
1/4 cup melted smart balance 50/50 butter blend

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with baking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2) In separate bowl, beat together strawberries & banana. Mix in eggs, vanilla yogurt, agave syrup, and vanilla. Add in flour mixture (do not overmix). Then add in melted butter and mix just until blended.
3) Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 25 minutes.

Thrift Shopping

I absolutely LOVE going thrifting. When I was in middle and high school I would go fairly often. But, I've been so busy with classes the past two years, so I haven't had much time to go thrifting in VA. It was nice to be able to go out with my friend Monica this week and visit my old thrift shop haunts. I went in search of cute clothes and purses (I came out with a shirt, a skirt, a purse, a , and a few books).

Along the way, Monica and I found some cute knick-knacks.





We also saw the most hideous designer jacket. Ha ha. Why D&G? Why?



We came across the most ridiculous corset. Ha ha.





And... we even found my name tag. ;p



It was such a fun day. I'll post pictures of the stuff I bought soon.

Chocolate-dipped Peanut Butter Frosted Banana Cupcakes

Chocolate-dipped Peanut Butter Frosted Banana Cupcakes. Whoa that's a delicious mouthful! Ha ha. I wanted to bake something for Father's Day and I wanted it to be sweet and decadent, but not crazyyyy unhealthy. So, I wound up changing around a few recipes and I came up with these. :)

They are banana cupcakes topped with peanut butter buttercream and dipped in chocolate ganache. They are delish! My family all loved them. Mmmmm.



If you're interested in making them, here are the recipes:

Banana Cupcakes (adapted from: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/desserts_E0308WELD_T )
1 cup whole-wheat flour (leveled)
1/4 cup soy flour (leveled)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (leveled)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas)
2 large eggs
1 cup Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2) In separate bowl, beat together butter & mashed bananas. Mix in eggs, vanilla yogurt, and vanilla. Add in flour mixture (do not overmix).
3) Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 25 minutes.
4) Once cooled, place in a freezer-safe container, where the tops of the cupcakes won't be covered.
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Peanut Butter Buttercream (adapted from: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Easy-Peanut-Butter-Buttercream-Frosting-172801)
1/2 cup (1 stick) Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend
Approx. 1 cup Smart Balance Peanut Butter
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 pinch table salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Light Silk soy milk

Directions
1) Whip together room temperature butter & peanut butter until combined and creamy.
2) Slowly add in powdered sugar & salt and beat to combine.
3) Add in vanilla & milk and mix only until combined. (Do not overbeat the frosting!)
4) Spoon buttercream into a pastry bag with large round tip (I didn't have these available to me at the moment, so I used a ziplock bag... I spooned in the BC and then cut the tip off). Pipe the BC onto the cooled cupcakes, starting in the middle and creating round, flat circles. (This will look better underneath the ganache).
5) Place the cupcakes in the freezer to harden the BC and make it easier to dip into the chocolate ganache.

At this point, they probably look like this:


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Chocolate Ganache

1 Bar Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate + 1 Package Baking Chocolate
3/4 cup Light Soy Milk

1) Melt chocolate on double boiler, stirring constantly.
2) Warm milk in microwave 30 seconds.
3) Stir milk slowly into chocolate until smooth.
4) Dip frozen cupcakes in chocolate and let sit at room temperature until the cupcake thaws and the chocolate sets.

Aren't they cute?



Even my mom's cows liked them. Ha ha.



Do you think you'll try this recipe?

Lucky Lucky Lavender

My nails were looking busted... So, I went over to this little beauty supply shop in Downtown (really close to my dad's store) and bought OPI's Lucky Lucky Lavender from the Hong Kong collection and Ogre-the-Top from the Shrek collection. I decided to try out the LLL shade first... it looked a little more pink than lavender, but overall, I'm in love. It was a little bit thick when I was putting it on, but it dried really smooth. And, I didn't even put on a top coat, and it hasn't chipped at all in the few days I've been wearing it. Yayyyy! LLL is such a happy looking color that it makes me smile every time I catch a glimpse of it while doing everyday tasks. Ha ha.


Lucky Lucky Lavender via OPI


Ogre-the-Top via OPI

My next nail polish buy will probably be Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat:


via Sephora

DIY Sunglasses

So, I've had some plain black Forever 21 sunglasses sitting around for a few months. I've been wanting to do a sunglasses redecoration project, so I decided to hot glue on a strip of gold chain laced with pleather. So easy! You should try it. They look vintage & very Chanel. ;)

I really like how they came out and I can't wait to wear them outside! For now, these are some pictures I took of myself. ha ha.





Do you like them?

Gabe's Graduation Party

So, my little brother just graduated from high school! My mom and I decided to make him a cake for his grad party and I was stumped at first on what to do... But, then my brother suggested "WYW" and it was perfect. ha ha. My brother's cliche of friends at school go by the name "WYW," which stands for "Wow, You Would." They made up the name to make fun of other cliches at school that took their "gang" status wayyyy too seriously. It's kind of like: "Wow, you would be that dumb." Ha ha ha. I think it's hilarious.

The cake came out cute, I think.... This was the Grad Party Tablescape. ;)

BETSEY JOHNSON MADELINE PUMPS

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS! The Betsey Johnson Madeline Pumps in Gold & Silver are in the mail zooming over to me. I bought them wayyyyyyyy on sale! Discounted from $192 to $57. They are sold out everywhere... and on the site I bought them from (shoes.com) they happened to be the last pair... and they happened to be my size. I am sooooo excited for them to get here. I think they are absolutely beautiful.





I think they match perfectly with this Betsey Johnson quotation I found on Doe Deere's blog. :)




Let me know what you think!

Lavender Lipstick Obsession

So, I've been addicted to Doe Deere's blog for the past few weeks. I seriously think I've read every entry, pored over every photo shoot, and lusted over every product in her Lime Crime makeup brand. I cannot wait to purchase her D'Lilac lipstick. It is the absolute perfect shade of lavender!

http://www.limecrimemakeup.com/dlilac-opaque-lipstick-p-230.html

You should absolutely admire her every post the way I have been doing. She totally deserves it. http://www.doedeereblogazine.com/ and take a look at Lime Crime's online shop: http://www.limecrimemakeup.com/

Hooray for bold makeup! Look out for a Lime Crime photo shoot once I buy the lipstick. It will most definitely be glorioussss. :)

Another Pair of HYSTERICgirl Inspired Shoes

So, a friend of mine wanted something pretty with sunflowers and a Marilyn Monroe quotation. So, I thought.... what's prettier than Alice Le's model portraits? NOTHING. Ha ha. So I drew inspiration from own of her sketches, threw in some sunflowers, and let people know that if you: "Give a girl the right shoes she can conquer the world." Ha ha.

I love them! And, so did Olivia, my adorable customer. :)

Probably My Favorite Custom Order

So, almost two weeks ago I painted my favorite order ever. ha ha. The customer actually just told me that her favorite color was orange, and that she wanted me to do whatever I felt like. So, I decided to paint shoes based off of my new inspiration, Alice Le of http://hystericgirl.blogspot.com

When I chanced upon Alice's blog, I immediately fell in love with everything she does. I can only dream of becoming 1/12942487234328479 as talented as her. And... anyway. I tried my hand at painting a pairs of shoes inspired by one of her paintings. (I really hope she doesn't mind! It was totally a tribute to her!)







Thank you, Alice Le for being such an inspiration! All of your work is absolutely beautiful!

Fantasy Shoes FTW

So, I've recently gotten two fantasy book themed shoe orders.

The first was a mix between the George Mason University logo and Harry Potter. It featured the Deathly Hollows symbol, the Mason shooting star, the Lightning bolt font, and a skyline of Hogwarts. Overall, I was happy with how they turned out. And the customer, Sean, said they were exactly what he wanted.






The second pair was inspired by The Lord of the Rings. It was a real challenge because of the faces and the elfish writing... But, I'm very proud of them!





Overall, I think these are fun and since they made the customers happy, I'm happy. :)

New Custom Orders

For the past two weeks, I've been way psyched (and busy) because of all of the custom orders coming in! It's been so fun getting to paint so many shoes, and so far, all of the customers have loved their shoes. :)

I wasn't able to post all of the orders while I was getting them... But, I'll go ahead and post a few of them now.

Meg, a dancer, ordered a pair of shoes featuring her favorite color, lavender, and dancers' silhouettes. When Meg received her shoes, she sent me a message saying: "I got the shoes this morning. OhmyGod they're so comfortable and they look amazing! Thanks so much Angelika!!!! :D"





I also had a ridiculously fun time painting Panda shoes for Conler. I think they came out really cute! My favorite part is probably the baby panda nuzzling in her mama's lap. They're definitely one of my favorite pairs so far. He's so obsessed with Pandas, and now I am too! Ha ha. When he saw the shoes he said: "I'm so blown away! those are absolutely amazing."





It's been a lot of hard work, but I am feeling so creative and happy. It feels like there's been a spark lit inside me and I don't want to stop painting. This is such a wonderful creative outlet for me and I am sooooo appreciative that people have trusted me enough as an artist to continue ordering shoes. Thank you to all of my wonderful customers!

Birthday Cake for Austin

So, my friend Austin just turned 19. He is getting ready to graduate from high school, so the excitement is building for his move to New York City. He'll be attending Pace University in the Fall and I'm crazy proud of him! Since he loves NYC and he hopes to be acting on Broadway one day, my mom and I decided to through him an NYC-themed surprise party. The menu included pizza and an NYC themed cake (complete with New York skyline and a Playbill featured his face). :)

I was on a short deadline, so I had to make the cake in just two days. I've only worked with covering cake with fondant one time before, so it was still pretty tricky for me. I had a great time making and painting the decorations though. And, Austin loved his surprise party. So, I think it was a success.

Dior Eyes

I always love the makeup featured in the Dior Runway Shows. The eyes always look huge and intense. I was inspired by this photograph from one of their runway shows:



I didn't have any false lashes, so I focused on the contrast of eyeshadow colors instead. I think the overall effect was more toned down than the Dior Runway look, but it was still way more than a going out look. Ha ha.







The outfit: Lace bunny ears (sewn by me, inspired by Maison Michel), Dress (H&M), shoes (iOffer fake Christian Louboutin Rolando Pumps), tights (Target)

First Custom Order

So, I was incredibly excited and nervous that a friend of mine ordered a custom pair of painted shoes, for purchase! I had so much fun painting them, so I still can't believe that I can get paid for doing something like this. It's great!

He asked for me to paint his shoes based on this photograph of a sloth:



I never really realized how cute sloths are (at least in this photo). The end result came out like this:



And, this is a close up of the little guy:



Overall, I was pretty happy with how the shoes came out and my friend LOVED them. :D Hooray for making the customer happy.

YAY! I am so excited to start blogging!

So, I've always enjoyed all sorts of crafts (knitting, crocheting, jewelry-making, purse-making, etc etc)... But, I never thought of myself as an artist or a painter.

In the past few months though, I've been experimenting a lot with painting. I made these Giraffes for my boyfriend using oil pastels on canvas.




Then I made this trio of acrylic paintings for him.




Since then, I've started painting shoes, and I am having so much fun! This is one of the first pairs I painted for my little cousin, Isabella. She's gotten really into drama this year, so I made her Times Square with all of her favorite Broadway shows on the billboards. She loved them!