Sweet Treat - Chai Cupcakes

I came across this recipe on The Cake Mistress website.  Since I am a Chai Tea lover I saw this post and immediately wanted to make these.  I plan on making these very soon and will post some pictures when I do but this recipe was too good not to share until then. 

If you make this recipe before I do let me know how they come out.

What you will need:

• 1/4 cup instant Chai mixture (instant Chai powder available from supermarkets)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup Caster Sugar
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 1/2 cup Self Raising Flour
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Nutmeg

Toppings:

• 1/4 cup Raw sugar
• Cinnamon Sugar (mix in a little caster with the cinnamon)
• 12 star anise's

Follow the rest of the recipe here and enjoy!

Mad Men Birthday

I know this post is a long time coming but to follow up with a previous post about the Mad Man themed birthday, the party was an absolute success.  We all enjoyed the evening full of 60's fashion, martini's, cigarettes (bubble gum kind), and it was great catching up with friends.  Here are some fun pictures from the evening and the great clothing that everyone was able to put together, most were amazing finds after spending sometime in vintage stores.

      

Winter Boots

Every year I go on a mission to find the perfect pair of boots, last year I felt that 4 pairs were the perfect pair of boots. This years trend ...riding boots.  Here are a few I currently have my eye on.  Do you have any favorites for this season?

{Hans, BCBG}

{Jan Tall Boots, FRYE}

{Craslee, Anne Klien}

{Foreway, Steve Madden}

Friday Favorites

Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone out there.  Hope all of you had a great holiday with your friends and family.  Here are a couple of my favorites from the week, which just happen to be all pictures that I have taken = ).

Have a great weekend!

{Hollywood Hills on a beautiful Sat afternoon}

{Elijah's Mickey Mouse themed 1st Birthday Party}

{Some of my favorite girls}

{Our Thanksgiving Table}

{Pumpkin Cheesecake}

{Breakfast Pizza, blog post soon on how to make this}

{First Time here and it's AMAZING}

{Cranberry Infused Vodka made for Thankgiving}

Black Friday Sales

Found out about a couple of good sales for those of you who plan on shopping this Friday. 

Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy - 30% off with code Merry

Forever 21 - 100's of their items starting at $2.99

Neiman Marcus - 40% off selected items, plus free shipping with code FSNOV

Express - 40% off in stores and online till 12 pm, 30% off in stores and online after 12 pm.

Macy's - 20-50% off entire store with the code THANKS

One Warm Coat

The holiday's are a time of helping those that are less fortunate, One Warm Coat collects coats and donations to give back to the community.  This organization started in 1992 with San Francisco, since then they have welcomes thousands of groups across North America and they continue to grow. With this economy, the need for coats and donations continue to grow.  Please check out their website to find local areas where you can donate your coats or there is links to hold your own successful drive.

Winter Sweaters

Guess is one of my favorite store to shop for just about anything but what I love most are their sweaters.  It has finally started getting colder in Southern CA and it is time to bring out your nice, cozy, and comfy sweaters.  Here are a few of my favorites right now.  I am adding these to my wish list and hope that some of these find their way under the tree this year.

{Karen Cable Sweater}

{Tara Off the Shoulder}

{Dazzle Sweater}

{Serena}

{Deanne}

{Edwige Jacket Sweater}

Friday Favorites - DIY Thanksgiving

There are so many cute and fun DIY ideas to celebrate Thanksgiving, here are a couple of my favorites.

Hope all of you have a safe and fun weekend and find the time to do one of these cute projects.

{Light Bulb Turkeys}

{Turkey Favors}

{Mini Pumpkin Cakes}

{Pumpkin Roll}

{Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee}

{Acorns Vase Fillers}

{Pumpkin Candle Holders}

{Table piece with white pumpkins}

Movember Reminder

We are half way through the month of raising money for Movember.  If you have not donated, you can do so here.  It's never too late and every dollar can make a difference.  So far at work we have raised close to $3,000 here at my work, which the company will match.

Here are some fun way that people are showing their support.

Spagetti Squash - Pasta's Alternative

Lately I have been hearing more and more about spagetti squash.  This seasonal veggie when baked can be used instead of pasta, potaotes, or rice if you are trying to find a healthy alternative.  The perks of this vegetable is that it is available year around with it's peak season in the fall.   It also has a very mild flavor and can be pared with almost anything.  Here are step by step instructions that I found on about.com on how to cook and prepare spagetti squash: 

Step 1:  What you need

• 1 spagetti squah
• large sharp knife
• baking pan
• oven
• kitchen fork

Step 2:  Prepare

• Prick the spagetti squah all over with a skewer so it will not burst when baking or you can cut it in half.
• Place into a baking pan or cookie sheet pan.
• Bake 375 for one hour if you keep it whole or 35 mins if you cut it in half.

Step 3:  Let it cool down so it is easy to handle.

Step 4:  Scoop the seeds and strings from the center of the cooked squash.

Step 5:  Gently scrape the tines of the fork around the edge of the spagetti squash to shred the pulp into strands. 

Step 6:  Use the strands with whatever you are cooking.

We made pesto chicken with the spagetti squash, instead of the typical pasta.