Key Lime Cupcakes

I don't now about you but I usually make the same desserts over and over because they are good and familiar. I have been trying to broaden my scope of recipes. I've never tried anything flavored with lime before except a Cherry Limeaide from Sonic. So I decided to try this Key Lime Cupcake recipe. I must say that it was quite refreshing!

Key Lime Cupcakes

Recipe:

1 3/4 cups cake four

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cool unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 1/4 granulated sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

2 1/2 tablespoons key lime juice

1 tablespoon key lime zest

1 drop of green food coloring

3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature

Frosting:

1/2 cup cool unsalted butter, cut into eight pieces

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature cut into 8 pieces

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon key lime zest

Directions:

1. Pre heat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans. 
2. Mix the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside
3. Using a mixer beat the butter on low until it's softened a bit. 
4. Add the sugar and increase the speed to medium. Beat until fluffy.
5. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add lime juice, zest, and food coloring and beat until mixed. (The mix will look curdled)
7. Add the flour in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Mix on low until combined. 
8. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full.
9. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely 
10. For the frosting, mix the butter on low until it's softened. Increase the speed to medium and add the cream cheese one piece at a time. Reduce speed to low and slowly add powdered sugar until combined. Beat in the key lime zest.
11. Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

You can make approximately either 36 mini cupcakes and 12 regular size cupcakes or 24 regular size cupcakes. 

I thought I "pinned" this recipe. I can't find it even looking with Google. So if this is your recipe let me know and I will credit you! 

Piano Find and Piano Bench Re Upholstered

Did you know that many of your Cities and School Districts have surplus stores? I found out a couple of weeks ago that my kids school district has a surplus store, is open on the first and third Tuesday of each month during the school year between 6:30 am and 9:30 am. Crazy and not very many hours. If you want the really good stuff you go when the school year starts. They have shop tools, kitchen appliances, preschool play sets, T.V's, stereos, chairs and lots more! A friend went last month because he heard that they have pianos. He was able to go and buy a piano for $150! He also told me that there were 2 left. I had to get me one. I played when I was a lot younger and have wanted my kids to play but could never afford a piano. I couldn't really afford this one but couldn't pass up on the deal! When we got there they told us that one of the pianos was untuneable. I'm guessing the sound board is cracked. So I was hoping the other one was in good shape. When I saw the piano I played a few notes and I was sold. It will need to be tuned but that will be another day! 

Since it came from a school it had these large casters on them. I want to change them because I don't like the look but they sure do make it easier to move!

I was so excited to get the piano that I didn't even notice that it was missing a leg! I can fix that, someday!

My dad came over today and we were talking about the piano. I told him all I need now is a piano bench! He said he had one at home! Yeah! I don't have to pay for one! I knew it would be in rough condition. The bench is in as good as condition as the piano. I want to refinish the piano and the bench to be the same color and fix some of the scratches. For now I decided to re upholster the bench. It was pretty gross looking. I took a close up of the fabric but decided to spare you the grossness! 

It was pretty easy to take apart. Only four screws! I took off the old fabric to find an even older fabric underneath. I didn't take that one off because I was afraid to find out what was underneath that! I went through my stash of fabric to see if I had something that I could use to reupholster the bench. I added a little more batting over the really old fabric then added some red vinyl over that. 

Here is the (almost) finished project.

This is what the sides of the bench look like. When I decide a color for the piano I will take care of the bench at the same time. 

Here is a close up of the vinyl.

Now all I have to do is find a piano teacher for my 5 kids that won't cost an arm and a leg!!!

How to Make Cake Flour

It is still Tuesday even thou it is 9:50 in the evening. I hope you can find this tip as useful as I have. Have you ever come upon a recipe that called for cake flour and passed it up because you didn't have any? I have on occasion or I just used All Purpose Flour and wondered if it really made a difference. The difference between the flours is the gluten. The more protein the wheat has the more gluten it has. Gluten is the element responsible for making the end result either tough as in breads or airy and crumbly as in cakes or pastries. I'm not one to have different types of flours on hand. So when making some recipes that called for cake flour I wondered if you could make your own? Sure enough you can! It's actually pretty easy. 

Cake Flour

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour

Corn Startch

Directions: 

Measure out one cup of all purpose flour and pour it into a bowl. Now with a tablespoon take two table spoons of the flour out of the bowl and return it to the flour bag. Now measure out two tablespoons of corn starch and add it to the flour in the bowl. Mix the all purpose flour and corn starch together with a sifter. Now you have cake flour! Now the trick is to remember this when baking!

Holiday Design Show

I love when Askren & Son's Wholesale in Tucson holds their design shows. I make sure to travel a couple of hours to see what they have come up with this time. There warehouse is chalked full of ideas around every corner. Sunday I was privileged to attend their Holiday Presentation. I even fell in love with the saying on their invitation. It read,

 "The Askrens believe in Christmas...from its tallest of beautiful trees, to its smallest of peppermint candies...from it's images of a winking santa, to its memories of a baby in a manger." 

I think I might steel that for my Christmas cards.  Hitomi Gilliam, AIFD was the guest designer. She is SO awesome! She makes you think outside of the box. This is the only picture I got of Hitomi and of course her face is covered! 

A lot of these pictures were taken around Askren's. They are not just of Hitomi designs. I just liked this spring arrangement.

Let it be Fall!

A variety of bud vases with succulents in them.

Very fun Halloween displays.

How about this for a table setting?

Dinner guest?

I love how they created their own vintage labels.

A very bright Christmas display.

Very Bright Wreath

Non Traditional Centerpieces

Green Poinsettias

A whimsical, mythical Christmas!

Picture of vintage Christmas Ornaments.

I liked the pillow, "Dear Santa I want It ALL!"

Fun wreath for the door.

Simple design for smaller spaces.

Amaryllis Centerpiece

Sometimes I take pictures of things that I want in my home!