ICING ON THE CUPCAKE

The Art of the Cupcake......

2009-10-20T01:04:00.006-04:00

The life of a cupcake is a very exciting one, up until of course the moment when it is devoured and savored. The first question you have to ask yourself is, what flavor do you want. For me it is all about the moment. I am somewhat partial to the chocolate cupcake, but a vanilla cupcake can also be very satisfying. Playing around with flavors, and finding out that a cupcake can really be more than what we have ever known it to be,to me is, mind blowing!! Chocolate and Vanilla are a thing of the past, and the sophisticated cupcake lover is all about the gourmet flavors.

With the Holidays just around the corner, forget about bringing the fruit cake that doesn't get eaten, and is dense enough to use as a door stop. Think of showing up at your family or friends dinners with a nice plate of sweet little cakes. I am a huge fan of anything chocolate mint, and there is nothing like chocolate and mint any day, let alone the Holidays. There is something about the two flavors together that just make me, HAPPY!! So a nice moist chocolate chunk cupcake with a mint icing, and crushed up candy cane pieces on top, are a perfect edition to any Holiday celebration.

If that doesn't tickle your fancy how's about, white chocolate and raspberry. Yet another two flavors that together are so amazing!! I mean chocolate itself is a wonderful thing. Dating back to the Mesoamerican civilazations where they made cacao drinks, to then Christopher Columbus introducing cocoa to Europe in the 1500's. And then finally in 1674 it was added to cakes and rolls. Once chefs around the world had a full understanding of the possibilities with chocolate, the whole world opened up. We associate chocolate with comfort, and there is no reason as to why we shouldn't be happy all the time. So if that means eating tons of it and trying different recipes with it, then so be it!

For those of you that don't like chocolate or maybe have the misfortune of being allergic to it. Then a great flavor combo is dried cranberry and either lemon or orange zest. These two flavors remind me of my Grandmother, and going to her house and having homemade biscuits that she had made. Sometimes flavored with these lovely ingredients. They were sometimes topped with a runny, gooey, sweet icing that had a hint of lemon or orange flavoring.

Once you have chosen your cupcake flavor, then the icing is what will make or break the whole deal. Like dressing yourself up when you go out, the accessories are what make the outfit. The same goes for a cupcake, and exactly what you use and how you decorate it define the cake and the experience you have when you enjoy it. After icing your cake and admiring your artwork, the only thing left is to take a huge bite. The kind that stretches your mouth muscles, trying to get the same ratio of cake to icing. MMMmmmmm.....so delicious! Time has stopped for the moment and as I savor this treat everything vanishes from my mind. All my worries and my quandaries don't exist, and I can't but hold onto the moment for as long as possible. It is then gone, a memory that is triggered by a smell, that in turn triggers the circle of Life of the Cupcake, all over again......

The beat goes on.......

2009-09-29T16:42:00.008-04:00

I never realized how involved starting a bricks and mortar company truly was. Especially in this day and age that we live in. Everything revolves around the internet, this technology highway that can connect me to more people than I could ever imagine. I have dreams of me sitting at a desk with 10 computer screens, all on my web page, with orders pouring in faster than I can get them out. Having to get a warehouse and a production plant, because of the vast networking abilities of the internet. It amazes me how this unbelievable shmooze engine has brought the old school way of, word of mouth, to a whole new level.

With cupcakes being all the new rage right now, and people wanting to do something different and original at their parties. I have definitely come in at the right time. The saying is, 'out with the old, in with the new'!! Cakes are a thing of the past and why not have fun again, enjoy life and what it has to offer. Personalizing something makes all the difference in the world, especially in the eyes of a child. When they get to do things for themselves, to see their look of pride and accomplishment, is priceless!

So as I putter along putting together Icing on the Cupcake, one brick at a time. I realize just what I have gotten myself involved in. Definitely not something that should be approached lightly, which in the beginning is what I did. The background work that I have been doing, and continue to do is basically the mortar, and without that the whole thing will fall apart.

I am taking a huge leap in life, where the ground that would normally be beneath me, is not there. It is by far the scariest yet the most exciting thing I have ever delved into. I can't believe it took me so long to realize who I was, and where the universe was taking me. All it took was me to truly listen to my heart and open my eyes, and when I did it was like, SHA-BAM!!

If there is anything that I can pass on to the next generation, or someone that wants to take that plunge is, do it. Listen to your heart and follow your dreams, there is nothing more gratifying than seeing and reaping the rewards from something that is all your own.

The wait continues, but it is close.....

2009-08-28T01:23:00.005-04:00

I know that making a website isn't an easy task. I also get that there is a lot of coding and blah, blah, blah. I really am waiting ever so patiently for my website!! Not being a techi in any way really, just kind of scraping by with what I do know. I feel like I am an impatient restaurant goer that thinks the second that they have verbalized their order, the kitchen staff start on the food. They look at their watches, or cell phones counting the seconds that they have waited. Within 5 minutes they have given you that pathetic look that says, 'where's my food'?

I would love if I had ever had the courage to say, 'really can you cook it faster at home? we are just doing what you would do at home. The only difference being we cook and clean up after. You still have to pay money to some establishment that will provide you with sustenance. So relax on the looks and realize that the food doesn't magically make itself, someone is actually doing it manually'!!

Alas, as much as that would have been very enjoyable, and satisfying I never did voice how I felt. Here I am sort of being that customer, and I get it to a degree. I am also not known for my patience. I want what I want when I want it. And I don't see a need for there to be any wasted time in between. Time is of the essence, and every moment is precious.

The days are counting down for me, and I know that 'all good things come to those that wait'. I am truly just like a kid on Christmas morning, they come down stairs and see all the presents. Knowing which ones belong to them, cause they sneaked a peak when mom and dad weren't around. Yet they want to open them and, NOW!! I have sneaked a peak, and now I am plutzing waiting for that day that I can unwrap my website to the whole world.

I have had some very exciting moments, in my so far pretty good 33 years of living. I have traveled through Europe, and lived over seas. Loving the culture and architecture, and feeling so alive standing in the middle of Dachau, in Munich, Germany. All of my adventures have been exhilarating, and life changing. Never though have I felt as alive as I do right now. I am looking forward to sharing my excitement with everyone that I can. Knowing that all of us have an inner child, I have released mine and it feels great. I am going to make that possible for the whole world.

The birth of Icing on the Cupcake.....

2009-08-03T23:30:00.001-04:00

There I was sitting around contemplating life, and my purpose in this large universe that we live in. I knew I wanted to be happy and successful, and I want to make a positive difference in this stagnant negative space we live in. The corporate world has me living in a rut. So I ask myself, What makes me happy?

What do I remember from being a kid that will always bring a smile to my face? One of my most vivid memories is of being a kid and having my birthday parties thrown at home, with a clown or a magician. My mother being a professional caterer, always put out a huge spread and as a main staple at any one of our parties on the sweet table, were these cute little cupcakes with bright colored icing that she would make. Those sweet delicacies were always a big hit, and gone with the bat of an eyelash.

So as I think hard about the meaning of my life, it hits me like a ton of bricks. I need to create that smile that those cupcakes bring to my face, for people big and small all over the world. Now the question is, how do I do that in a way that no one else has? Well my favorite thing about kids parties, besides the sweet goodness of cupcakes, is the LOOT BAG, of course!!

So Icing on the Cupcake was born. The world of cupcakes is endless if you want them specialized, and the skies the limit if you allow your creative side to play a little and design your own little masterpiece. I provide you the canvas with which you can be your own, CUPCAKE MASTER.

To take a moment out of our busy lives to enjoy what life has to offer is hard for most, and non-existent for others. I vow with cupcakes that even if for just a brief moment, to touch as many people that I can. With a smile and a sweet package that will take your mind to a place that we all have wished we could have back. The innocence of being a kid and thinking outside the box of the daily grind.

Rach 'Cupcake Guru'

DREAMING OF CUPCAKES

2009-08-03T21:26:00.000-04:00

Breastfeeding the baby and watching random commercials, I suddenly got a huge mouth-watering craving....

Chocolate cupcake with a whipped pink icing topping and a large glass of milk. My theighs and waist would not be happy with me, but oh my how my tummy would be giddy with joy. Quickly I picked up the phone to call Rachel...I NEED CUPCAKES!!!! Luckily she was in the middle of baking for tomorrows order and there would be extras for me for our day together. Oh how I love our Tuesdays' together, especially if there are leftover cupcakes from the weekends orders.

Brad, my husband turns to me and says "honey, what are you doing?" I reply, "cupcake, I mean sweety, I am brainstorming some awesome ideas for Rachel." So blog #1 was created this way.

Today I dream of chocolate cupcake, tomorrow perhaps vanilla with blue icing, perhaps purple, either way my dreams these days usually involve some sort of cupcake tasty goodness. I can't help it, I was bitten by the greatest cupcake idea a few months ago when Rach proposed this awesome idea. Now as each day passes I get more and more excited about cupcakes!!

Ooops my overzealous typing woke the baby...gotta run...but trust me, I;ll be back tomorrow with more delectable dreams....