Yellowbird's Is In Business

So, since losing my job several months ago,
the idea of me starting
a cupcake/bakery business
has been thrown around.

And yesterday,
I got my first official order!

I am SOOO excited!

I went home and tested a recipe
and
the flower design.

Here it is:

Vanilla Cupcakes
w/ a Super Yummy Buttercream Frosting
AND...Marshmallow Flowers (which I will be perfecting over the next 2 weeks)

Oh, Facebook!

How you rule my life!


I finally broke down
and
made a Facebook page for the blog.

(So, go "like" me.)

All because of this little lady,
Ashley at The Shine Project.

I really wanted to share a link to this amazing cause that she's doing.
And Facebook seems like another appropraite place to do that.

So, thanks Ashley
for getting me up to speed with techonolgy
AND doing something so cool!

Menu Monday - 2/22

Finally,
I'm back on my game.

I planned early
which is something
I'm NOT used to.

I had this week's menu planned by Saturday.
Shopped Sunday.
And pumped about it all by today!

So, for this week:

Monday - Sticky Chicken & Potatoes
Tuesday - Hamburgers
Wednesday - Steak (for Mark Dean & Grilled Chicken for me) w/ Baked Potatoes
Thursday - Beef Enchiladas and maybe Spanish Rice???
Friday - Marlboro Man Sandwiches (for Mark Dean) and something Chicken-y for me

MIA...Again

This week was crazy.

School kicked my butt.
Gym kicked my butt.

But now...
it's time for the weekend!!!

And...
my awesome cousin, Callie of Scrappin with Life,
told me a lil story
that inspired me!

She told me about
her and some blogger friends of hers
renting a beach house together.
She said she had the best time of her life!

I'm jealous.
And I want to meet some of your lovely ladies.

Is anyone down to save up and do something this cool???


Pleeeeeease.

Week Re-cap

I didn't do anything
cool
this week.

I did,
however,

pass my 2nd Spanish test with a 90!
lost 2 more pounds...welcome 126!
(Lil story: I tried on a dress that I've had for over a year, which didn't really fit that well a year ago when I wore it...well, I put that sucker on and it FIT! And...could still be taken in some on the sides. Yes, I'm extremely happy, excited & energized by my newfound fitness!)
And I will be at Supercross all day today which I'm not really complaining about.

Tomorrow:
Preparing a Valentine's dessert for Mark Dean
And lots of homework
With a mini work-out


Have a GREAT weekend everyone!

Surprise! For Me!

Mark Dean just brought this home...
for me!

So, he says.

Please disregard how rough I look.
The point of the 2nd picture is that it's so cute.
Just the perfect size for lil ol' me!

In the end, I know Mark Dean has ulterior motives.

P.S. I've only got 8 sentences down on that essay. Boo!
I'm in for a long night.
Again.

I'm Speechless...

But completely distracted.

I should be watching a movie
to write an argumentive essay over.

Hmm...I think I made up:
argumentive.

Instead
I'm thinking of:
What to bake next
My Spanish test that I'm pretty darn sure I did excellent on
How hungry I am
How much weight I've lost
The new car I want

If you are interested,
I'm watching

Which is quite interesting.

But less interesting when you HAVE to watch it.

And I've seen half of it.

And....

I've got the basic framework of my paper drafted out.

So,

I'm done rambling.

I hope everyone is enjoying the night more than I!

Menu Monday - 2/7

I'm down 2 more pounds or so.
Of course, it fluctuates.
Stupid human body.

But I'm sticking to it.
So, gotta stick to a healthier menu for the week.

Plus, I ate really bad over the weekend
and I need to make up for it.

Monday - Potato Soup, Homemade Mini Beer Bread Loaves, and Sandwiches for the boys (might as well be a Panera chef)
Tuesday -  Hamburgers
Wednesday - Baked Tilapia & Red Potatoes - new recipe...super excited!
Thursday - Bestie Night (last week was cancelled due to Houston's INSANE weather)
Friday - Spinach Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken

And Supercross is this weekend! (So prolly more bad eating...grr...)
Let's go #129!!!
I will be feeding this boy all week
so, he should have all the right nutritional "things" to make him race really well!
Haha!

Follower Appreciation Day

Over the weekend,
I received
the GREATEST e-mail ever.

I think I read it 10 times.
Then read it to others around me.

I was so elated.
It is what makes all my blogging worth it!

THANK YOU
Heather
from
Some Kind of Wonderful!

You are so amazing and special to me!
As are all my amazing and special followers!

So anyways,
about this email.

Heather e-mailed me telling me
that she has NEVER made anything from scratch
and that she made my "awesome peanut-butter cupcakes
and that yummy frosting" and SHE DIDN'T MESS THEM UP! :D

Heather surprised herself,
got compliments from her hubby,
AND her in-laws,
PLUS sent that super duper sweet e-mail
WITH pictures!

It's for people like Heather,
and these boys....

that make what I do in the kitchen all worth it!

I hope I get to share more amazingly sweet e-mails and people with you in the future!!!

Good Morning Pancake Cupcakes w/ Maple MARSHMALLOW Frosting

I woke up with this idea.
And of course, I wanted to adapt
the marshmallow frosting
for these lovely breakfast delights.


And they hit the spot!


But once the weather warms up
and the roads are drivable,
I've GOT to hit the gym!!!
_________________________________

Pancake Cupcakes
From BrownEyedBaker


Ingredients:
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1½ cups Milk
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Butter, unsalted, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with liners and then spray the liners with non-stick spray (important step!). (I used a mini-muffin pan and just sprayed the pan; no liners.)

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; set aside. 

In a separate medium bowl whisk together the milk and eggs, then stir in the melted and cooled butter. 

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk together until just moistened and combined. Like pancakes, lumps are okay! 

Spoon the batter between the muffin cups and bake until puffed and firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. (I baked my mini-muffins for 8 minutes.) Let cool for about 5 minutes and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Maple Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick of Butter, room temperature
~1/8 cup Maple Syrup (start with less, add more if you want it sweeter) ~1/8 cup Milk - I guessed because it's hard to measure an 1/8 of a cup
~2 cups Powdered Sugar
~3.5 ounces Marshmallow Creme
Dash of Half & Half

In a large bowl, mix butter, maple syrup, and milk on medium speed till smooth and well blended. Add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, on low speed till blended. Once blended, raise speed to about medium for a few minutes. Mix in marshmallow creme untill smooth. Add a dash or two of half & half till you reach desired consistency. (Mine turned out a little thinner than other frostings but I really like how it turned out for THESE cupcakes...if you want a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar)

______________________________________

I shared this recipe on:

Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum
Fun w/ Food Friday @ Paisley Passions
Weekend Wrap Up @ Tatertos & Jello
Sweet for a Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Sundae Scoop @ I <3 Naptime
Made By You Monday @ Skip to My Lou
Tasty Tuesday @ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Peanut Butter Cupcakes w/ Peanut Butter Frosting

Because Mark Dean has
a SERIOUS obsession with peanut butter,
the decision was easy...
a double dose of peanut butter.
___________________________________

I was a little impatient and frosted the cupcakes while they were warm.
Don't do that.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Recipe from Allrecipes.com -

For 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Shortening
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1 Egg
3/4 cup Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
Dash or 2 of Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, shortening and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg then the vanilla. Stir flour mixture into the batter alternately with the milk.

Spoon into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:
1 stick of Butter, room temperature
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
~1/8 cup Milk - I guessed because it's hard to measure an 1/8 of a cup
4-5 cups Powdered Sugar
Dash of Half & Half

In a large bowl, mix butter, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla on medium speed till smooth and well blended. Add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, on low speed till blended. Once blended, raise speed to about medium for a few minutes. Add a dash or two of half & half till you reach desired consistency.


______________________________________

Sharing this recipe on:
Catch a Glimpse @ A Glimpse Inside
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum
Fun w/ Food Friday @ Paisley Passions
Weekend Wrap Up @ Tatertos & Jello
Sweet for a Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Sundae Scoop @ I <3 Naptime
Made By You Monday @ Skip to my Lou
Tasty Tuesday @ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Top 10 Things I Wanna Buy Baby Isaac

This last Saturday was Carrie's,
of Our Small Haven & my SIL,
baby shower!

It turned out so beautiful!
And just made me want to go shopping, again
for Baby Isaac!!!

Here are the Top 10 Things I Wanna Get Him RIGHT NOW:

1. Keep Calm & Rock On Sign:
From Nuevo Designs

2. Photo Book Toy - JUST for Baby Isaac

From Genius Baby Toys

3. Squeaky Shoes

I can't tell you how much I love hearing these shoes when I'm shopping!

From Pip Squakers

4. Cute Lil Growth Chart

From KidOBabyAccesories

5. Blocks

For Now.

From Little Sidekick

6. More blocks

For Later.

From Littlesaplingtoys

7. Adorable lil hats.

From Propmania

8. Circus Sleep Sack

From Gymboree

9. Lil Red Tricycle

I'm ready for him to grow!!!

From Radio Flyer

10. Baby Einstein DVDs

Cuz Baby Isaac is gunna be one smart cookie!

From Baby Einstein

Hide! It's Going Around...

I started feeling

a lil under the weather yesterday.

I stopped at CVS

on my way to the gym

to knock this lil bug outta me

before it got bad.

Well,

it's bad.

Today was terrible.

I noticed this on my way to school:

For people with high blood pressure.

I've been known to have a temper

But it's never be confirmed that I have high blood pressure.

And I read the back after I get to school

"Excitability and drowsiness may occur"

I'm not sure I could handle both at the same time.

Lucky for me,

drowsiness was the only thing that kicked in.

During class.

Didn't catch much of what happened in math.

Pretty sure I bombed my Spanish test.

And I just woke up from sleeping off the rest of those meds.

I think it's safe to say 

I will no longer be taking high blood pressure flu medicine. 

Hope everyones week is off to be better start than mine.

P.S. This stupid cold is not good for my work out routine. Is it ok if I still go to the gym? Just do a lighter work out? UGH!!!