Gone Fishing

I haven't done an interiors post in a while.. 

Probably because I have been distracted with exiting things like Birthdays and Baking.

Perhaps it's also been a lack of inspiration.

I don't even want to think about the amount of time I spend on Pinterest and various other house and design blogs, but sadly it's been a while since I've found any super inspirational homes worth pinning.

Third world problems, right?!

But now I've found it. 

Allow me to unveil three images of Interior Perfection. 

Pink and White Dining

Bedside Vignette

White Living Space

I particularly like the personality of the fish.

Maybe I'll go buy myself a goldfish this weekend? 

Seems like a solid plan.....

Find Maria Barros' other interior genius here.

xx

Images here

le sigh

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” 

― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

xx

Image here

Plain and Popular

I love chocolate.

LOVE it.

And I don't discriminate either..

Milk chocolate; dark chocolate; white chocolate; melted chocolate; blocks of chocolate; heart shaped chocolate; Easter chocolate; chocolate with fruit and nut; chocolate with more chocolate on top.. 

You get the idea.

And yet - 

I don't love chocolate cake.

.

.

.

I know. 

It's shocking.

There are just so many other flavours I would choose before plain ol' chocolate. 

In cake form, it's just not high on my list.

But I do recognise that other people take comfort in a basic chocolate cake. 

So I made some last week....

Mostly because I thought a chocolatey cake would pair so well with a butterscotch frosting.

I was right.

The Lifespan of a Cupcake
Chocolate cupcakes with butterscotch frosting

C H O C O L A T E   C U P C A K E S 
W I T H   B U T T E R S C O T C H   F R O S T I N G

8 tablespoons (113.4 grams) unsalted butter

58 grams dark chocolate, chopped  

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup greek yoghurt

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 180 degrees C. 
Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. 
Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. 
Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
Add in one third of dry ingredients to egg sugar mixture, alternately with the yoghurt, and ending with the dry ingredients, until well combined. 

Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. 
Bake until pick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. 
Then frost.

The frosting was a basic buttercream with a splash glug of Kilkenny's Butterscotch Liqueur = delicious.

xx

There's Still Time

per.spec.tive
[noun]

• a mental view or outlook;
• a way of regarding situations, facts, etc., and judging their relative importance;
• the proper or accurate point of view or the ability to see it;
• a view over some distance in space or time.

Another year; Another Birthday.

Sometimes I feel like I have lived an entire life time.

And then I find a quote like below and remember that all is not lost.

There is still time for me to live and love.

xx

Champagne, Darling?

Sometimes a girl just needs a glass of bubbles.

Sometimes a girl wants to share the bubbles with her favourite cupcake recipe.

Sometimes the cupcake recipe and the bubbles fall in love and form a magical union.

And then... a delicious cupcake is born.

C H A M P A G N E   C U P C A K E S

Champagne Cupcakes

Here's how it happened - - 

1/2 cup butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chobani yoghurt

1/2 cup champagne

Preheat oven to 180C degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, 
cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Add vanilla and mix.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup champagne and 1/2 cup yoghurt 
(mixture will fizz and bubble a little). 

Add flour and champagne mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour.  
Batter will be thick.

Fill cupcake papers with 1/4 cup level measures of batter.  
Bake for 17-22 minutes.  
Set aside. 

To frost - Mix 3 tablespoons of the champagne into your fave buttercream icing.

Honestly, I don't know if the type of champagne will impact on the flavour. This was a bottle I happened to have in my cupboard. (I think it's a pretty cheap bottle too..)

I think I'd like to try the same recipe with a sweeter wine - perhaps a Moscato?

Ahh.. when there's alcohol involved - The possibilities are endless!

Enjoy, my Lovelies

xx

45 Days To Go!

He's makin' a list

And checkin' it twice...

Yep! With only 45 days to go - 

Santa's getting ready; and so am I!

My favourite thing about Christmas is the food. More specifically (and not surprisingly) the BAKING.

The Festive Season officially kicks-off tomorrow with the Christmas Pageant - Also known as "The Day We Put Up The Christmas Tree".

With just 45 days to prepare, I am beginning my research for this year's Christmas Treats.

Peppermint Lollipop Cupcakes

Eggnog Cupcakes

Holly Cupcakes

Gingerbread Cheesecake

Super Easy Tree Cookies

Lucky I'm good at sharing my baked goods..

Sometimes.

xx

Monday-itis

Urghhh... Monday.

I am less than enthusiastic about today. I think I'm getting sick. Again...

And I wasn't the only one who wasn't keen to get out of bed this morning.

Miss Emmy

xx

Stationery Heaven

I heart Kikki K

I get really really really inspired in that place.

Honestly, it's more about the concept of organisation that makes me happy; rather than the actual products sold in store. But none-the-less I managed to spend a solid 40 minutes browsing the shelves in there yesterday.

It's just so pretty!

And organised!

Did I mentioned, I have a thing for organisation?!

*sigh*

xx

[Photos taken by me.. in store.. when the staff weren't watching!]