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s'mores cupcakes please

I have a big appreciation for S'mores. Being an import to the US I've only gotten to know the beauty of a s'more in the last 10 years and of course I am a fan. I've been craving s'mores this summer but since I don't have a bonfire to go to on a regular basis I found another way to get the taste of gooey marshmallow, buttery grahams and decadent chocolate. This recipe is adapted from one that was on Martha Stewart but I used cake mix and soda to try and cut the calories a little. 

Recipe makes 24 full size cupcakes.

Heat your oven to 350F and line 2 cupcake tins with cupcake liners. 

Part 1 - Graham Cracker Base

2 packets of graham crackers (not two boxes I mean the packages inside the box. 

1/4 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of melted butter

Smash up the graham crackers and then mix in the melted butter and sugar. Once combined put about 2 tablespoons of crumbs into each cupcake. Then take a small glass and even out the crumbs about 1/4 inch thick). Save a little to sprinkle on the cupcakes at the end. 

Part 2 - Chocolate Shavings

2 7oz bars of premium chocolate. 

Using a small knife finely chop the chocolate and put about 1 tablespoon in each cupcake on top of the graham layer. Save a little chocolate to sprinkle on top of the finished cakes. 

Bake the graham cracker bases with the chocolate on top for about 6 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. The chocolate on top will just be softened slightly - that's okay. Take these out of the oven then start on the cake part of the cupcake leaving the graham crackers with a chance to cool. 

Part 3 - Cake mix

1 box of cake mix

1 can of soda

I used the old soda trick to cut the calories in these cupckaes. It's actually the first time i have done this and the only difference i noticed was that the next day the cupcakes seemed to shrink away from the paper. So if you are using this recipe and want these to be ultra presentable make them the day of. 

Add the cake mix on top of the base and fill holes to about 3/4 full. 

Part 4 - Frosting

1 7oz jar of Marshmallow Fluff

3/4 - 1 cup of powdered sugar

1 cup of butter

Mix it all up and while it's nice and soft pipe it onto the top of your cupcakes. Garnish cupcakes with leftover crumbs and chocolate. 

Part 5 - EAT!

PARTY ON  - LINK PARTIES!!

m.i.a.

I haven't been posting lately for a few reasons - little vacation, potty training and 3 days a week in grad school. I have a few fun things I am planning so I'm looking forward to sharing those. Watch this space :)

chalkboard closet

I've wanted to use chalkboard paint for a long time so when decorating my son's room I knew there was a chance to get creative with a chalkboard. I went through a number of ideas before i landed on this one - a chalkboard closet door. 

I like the fact that I can write messages on here, whether for encouragement of just to remember what we are doing that day and therefore what he needs to wear. I also like that the low level of the board on the bottom makes it the perfect doodle spot for him now. 

A quick tip on using chalkboard paint - read all the instructions about curing. Frankly, I was not aware of the process and how many coats I would need (x5) or the time I would have to wait before using the surface (3 days). It seemed to take forever and for my 2.5 year old the wait was torture but we are so pleased with the outcome that it was worth the wait. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend. 

I am linking to some super link parties - check them out. 

novel wall decor

Generally I would be opposed to chopping up books for almost anything. But as my little boy's room began to take shape I needed to find some fun things to put on the wall. 

I had two matching frames that went with the previous 'girly' guestroom style that was there previously. You can see one below. They were from Marshall's I think.

I took out the pictures of the flowers which was a bit tricky because the backs of the frames was firmly sealed. But with a bit of tuggin' and pryin' (and swearin') I got the backs off without causing too much damage. 

So, what to fill them with? I went online to Amazon and did a search for kids' cowboy books. I found this cute little one and did a "quick look inside" to see what the pictures were like. 

Sure enough there were two pages that were perfect. You can see the finished product below. The book was $2.99 and in excellent used condition so it was a cost effective way to get some updated artwork in his room. The best part was that the pictures were from the front and back inside cover pages so the book is still completely readable. 

I have shared this post at some funky link parties - check them out here. 

tote bag birthday gift

My best friend had a birthday recently and she asked me to make her a tote bag. As the busy mom of two little boys she needed a bag that was stylish but big enough to hold everything that she carries around on a daily basis.

Here she is modeling the new bag. The only change I made to the tutorial was to give her extra long handles to suit her 'tall drink of water' frame. 

For her birthday I got her a gift card to a fabric store and so chose the fabric and had it sent to my house. I think this is a really good idea if you are planning to make something special for a friend. It was great for her to be able to choose the pattern and style that she wanted. Ironically she choose a fabric that is the same pattern I have on my outdoor furniture but in a different color. There are many reasons we are best friends, which now includes the fact that we have the same taste in fabric. 

We found this bag tutorial on Delia Creates. It is very simple and the pockets are perfect for a mom that carries a phone, keys, bottles, diapers, snacks and the kitchen sink. The fabric she choose has such a great bold pattern that works really well on the bag. 

The only shame is that her birthday was in March and she didn't get the bag until now! Oh, well!

I'm sharing this bag on some fun link parties. Check them out here. 

double the love

Yesterday was my birthday and Sunday was Mother's Day so I've been feeling very loved. On Saturday we went for lunch and stopped into an antique shop and finally found what I've been looking for. Add some cupcakes and it couldn't be more perfect. Hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day.