Thank You!

Hi everyone! I want to thank everyone for helping my Ragnar Relay team raise $30,000 for Rett Syndrome Research Trust. Yes, with your help, we were able to surpass our goal. And icing on the cake, our team won FIRST PLACE in the Women's Ultra category. So thank you!!

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Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes from Elana's Pantry

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Have you jumped on the paleo bandwagon yet? I have a lot of respect for people who choose to eat or not eat certain foods because I have little self control. These paleo vanilla cupcakes from Elana's Pantry are made from only 7 ingredients, including coconut flour. I would definitely be willing to give them a try. You can find the recipe HERE.

Fresh and Easy Really is Fresh and Easy

Fresh and Easy has been my grocery store since they first opened seven years ago. I love them because they are small, fresh, and well...easy. I have a small family so I don't need to go to a big-box store. And when I'm in a regular grocery store, I end up buying a whole bunch of stuff I don't need. Fresh & Easy  = healthy convenience.

Last week I was invited to tour my local Fresh & Easy store to learn about what's new there.

The newest exciting addition to the Fresh & Easy family is Wild Oats, an organic brand of food. I love that Wild Oats is now available there because I don't have to go to a separate store to get organic food if I need it.

Fresh & Easy is differentiating itself by offering Wild Oats, making F&E the only grocery store that offers grab-n-go organic sandwiches and salads. These grab-n-go items are available in the front of the store for easy access.

F&E is offering all kinds of organic food options, including Wild Oats milk. I grabbed a box of Wild Oats eggs to try at home. It was my first time buying brown eggs. And the interesting part is that they have the laid-on date printed on each egg. Those are fresh eggs!

Since I'm not gluten-free, I had never noticed the huge selection of gluten-free foods available at F&E. Check this out....two whole sections!

A few days following the big earthquake earlier this month, I noticed an Earthquake foods section at F&E. Coincidentally, April is Earthquake Preparedness Month. I love that F&E has made it easy for me to pack a quick bag of earthquake-ready food.

Last, but certainly not least, F&E now offers single-serve cupcakes and cheesecakes. They had 3 or 4 types of cupcakes and they are available for $2.49 each. Perfect way to scratch a quick cupcake itch.

I don't need to be sold on Fresh & Easy because it is already my favorite grocery store. But I loved learning about all of the new items available. Thanks for a fun time!

Cloud frosting

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I love how creative this frosting technique is from Your Cup of Cake! Cloud Frosting just sounds like light and fluffy and is so adorable. This frosting is made with cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream. You can find the recipe and more photos HERE.

Easter Cupcake at Disney's Hollywood Studios

I love seeing cupcakes at Disney! Check out this White Chocolate Raspberry cupcake available at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Too bad it's only available across the country.

Happy Easter to you all!

Inland Empire Cupcake Fair Set for May 4

The Second Annual Inland Empire Cupcake Fair "Cupcakes for a Cause" is set for Sunday, May 4, 2014, at the Riverside Convention Center from 12-4pm. The fair has cupcake tastings, judging, giveaways, live entertainment, cake decoration demonstrations, free massages, Kids' Zone, Active Zone, Craft Corner, and lots of shopping.

Tickets are on sale now. Visit IEShineOn.com/cupcakes for packages including general admission, VIP, and group rates. Proceeds from tickets sales benefit Community Connect and the California Riverside Ballet. For more info about these organizations, visit IEShineOn.com/blog.

Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes

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One of coolest ideas that I've come across is for Cadbury Creme Egg cupcakes. Who doesn't LOVE Cadbury Creme Eggs?! Super easy to make. Just prepare your cupcake batter as you normally do, but add a frozen Cadbury Creme Egg on top on the batter before you put in the oven. That's it! It's the perfect Easter treat.

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Birds Nest Cupcakes

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More Easter cupcakes! How adorable is this Birds Nest cupcake?! And yet it seems like this would be easy to make myself.

Chocolate shavings on top of a chocolate frosted chocolate cupcake and topped with robin's eggs candies. I might be stealing this idea to use this year.

Thanks to Cupcake Takes the Cake for posting the photo.

Surprise Bunny Cupcakes from Cupcake Proejct

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Easter is just around the corner and Easter cupcakes are popping up everywhere.

Check out these cupcakes from Cupcake Project with a bunny inside. How do they do that?

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Yes this looks weird, but when baked inside a cupcake and cut open, it's a bunny! This structure is made from a mixture of cake mixture and frosting. Pretty cool!

You can find instructions and the recipe from Cupcake Project HERE.

Dairy-Free Frosting!

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I recently discovered that I'm slightly lactose intolerant. I can still have milk and dairy product, but I get all bloated. Not fun. It's actually quite sad because nothing goes better with sweets than a tall glass of cold milk.

So I like that Cupcake Project recently published a recipe for Sinless Smooth & Sweet Dairy-Free Chocolate Frosting. This frosting is made from cashews (interesting).

Even though I'm not staying away from dairy products completely, it's nice to know there are options. You can find the recipe HERE.

I'm Running Because They Can't

This week is the week that our Ragnar Relay team will be running 195 miles for 195 girls who have Rett Syndrome. I will personally be running 33 miles over the course of 24 hours. Please help support this great cause by donating HERE. You can also find more info HERE. Thank you!

More Gourmet Donuts

What is my blog turning into? Another post about gourmet donuts?

Yes, it's true...I love all sweets! And I feel it's my duty to give guidance on other delicious treats besides cupcakes.

Have you been to Sidecar Donuts in Costa Mesa, CA? It's another amazing gourmet donut place, which translates into $3 a pop donuts (but so worth it).

I recently ventured into their shop and picked up a few donuts for a business meeting. The donut of the day was Butterscotch Pot de Creme ($3.50). It's a donut topped with butterscotch cream, homemade creme fraiche, caramel, and Jacobsen sea salt. So delicious! But better than a cupcake?...let's be serious.