Burlap Wreath

Our house is kind of like a fishbowl--you can see straight in.  Our across-the-street neighbor is so blatant about it that she'll come over and say "I saw you had the TV on" or call and ask "what are you cooking?".

Take a look at the glass door and three windows in front:

They look right into our dining room, living room, and all the way through to the back deck.  We have a landscaper strategically planting some trees, but in the meantime, I decided a wreath was in order.

I made this by tying strips of burlap to a wire frame.  Time consuming and a bit messy as the burlap frays, but very inexpensive.  My mom reminded me of how we used to tie baggies to a wire hangar to make something similar (Google it!  People are still doing it!).  Now that the 80s are long gone, I think I'll stick with the burlap.

Mint Oreo Cupcakes

We just celebrated a FIFTH birthday in our house!  I can't believe our baby girl is 5 already.  We had her party at the dojo where she takes karate, and there is a lot to be said for a party in which all Mommy needs to do is show up with the guest of honor and a batch of cupcakes.  This was their first time having a birthday party there, and the dojo owners did such a great job.  They played lots of fun games and learned some basic martial arts skills.  It was really great to see their daughter demonstrate her award-winning kata to a very impressionable group of 4-5 year old girls.  See, girlies, it's "cool" to be pretty AND strong--princesses aren't the best thing going :)

This photo is not from the party, but shows C "sparring" with a classmate.  The objective is to catch your opponents flag, while protecting your own.  A sneaky way to teach agility that the kids LOVE.

And now I finally explain the title of my post, these yummy Mint Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes.  C looooves mint and chocolate together, and I needed to find a way to make a "fun" cupcakes.  Here is the recipe:

Mint Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes

(makes 30 cupcakes)

Make a boxed mix of chocolate cake (I used Devils Food cake).  Add 1-2 teaspoons mint to the batter.

Place one mint oreo in bottom of each cupcake liner.  Pour batter over oreos, filling 2/3 full.  Bake as directed on box.

Frosting:

¾ cup butter or margarine, softened

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

2-3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

3 drops green food coloring (I also added 1 drop blue). 

Combine until smooth, adding small amounts of water if necessary.

Frost cooled cupcakes and top with a mini oreo if desired.

This recipe was adapted from this Mint Chocolate Cake recipe, a favorite in our house that I’ve also made as a layer cake with mint frosting in the middle.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mint-chocolate-cake/detail.aspx