A Sweet Mulligan!

So as mentioned in previous posts, Cupcakes tend to come off as more "girly" treat. I'm here to prove to you that there's plenty of masculine Cupcakes out there to satisfy the man in your life's sweet tooth! I've previously shown you Hockey & Billiard Cupcakes, now here's another great idea for your man's next birthday or special event, Golf Cupcakes!

Cheers!

Tuesday's Tune - February 28th, 2012

Today’s tune is from the talented Erykah Badu! To be honest, I’m not a fan of all of music, but this song definitely has a beat that will get your head bobbin’!

Badu is a singer/songwriter, actress and activist, and has been in the music biz for years. Her style of music includes elements from R&B, Hip Hop & Jazz, but she is best known for her role in the rise of Neo Soul. What I love about her music, is unlike common R&B, she likes to send a deeper message. You can really feel and get a sense of her personal take on life through her lyrics. The majority of Badu’s music is majorly influenced by her beliefs of the “NOI” (the Nation of Islam) and her African roots and heritage. Today’s track is off her album “New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)” (released in 2008) and is called “Soldier”. Enjoy!

Cheers!

On the Red Carpet

Did you catch the Oscars last night? I watched most of it, but ended up passing out by I'd say 10:30! Loved the dresses on the red carpet, everyone looked stunning!




How amazing are these cupcakes? I found them on google, they're made by Hoosier Homemade.

Photo Credit: hoosierhomemade.com



Cheers!



Snow?

So apparently the Montreal area is getting slammed with 15-20 cm of snow from this afternoon till tomorrow morning? I'll believe it when I see it! Honestly the weather reports have been off all week! As long as it doesnt drop during rush hour, that's all I care about!

In other news, it's friday! ENJOY!

Cheers!

5 Things

Hello loves! Here's this weeks addition of 5 things!


Zumba

As mentioned in yesterday's post, this latin inspired dance class is an AWESOME work out, get on it!

Photo Credit: zumbafit.com

The Help

This is an incredible movie, I think everyone should watch it! It's a great story, and literally made me cry about 5 times! My mom just finished the book, and although I'm doing it backwards, I'm totally going to read it!

Photo Credits: wikipedia.com



McCafé Latte

Wow who knew McDonald's would pull off a great latte? I really enjoyed it!

Photo Credit: mcdonalds.ca

Cupcake Cookie Jar

How cute are these? My amazing mum gave these cookie jars for Christmas two years in a row! The first one I broke the lid (sad morning),  I keep the bottom to store stuff in my cupboard! The other one I use to store various kitchen items on my counter (note pad, pens, David’s Tea bags etc.) These can be purchased at pier1.com .

Photo Credit: pier1.com

Rubber Rain Boots


If you're a dog walker like myself, you know that spring time is the worst!! With all the water, mud, garbage & defrosted dog poo (gross), rubber boots are key! I originally wanted a pair of Hunter or MK, but after seeing these Aldo ones for $30 with shipping and taxes, I couldn't pass up the offer! (they're actually even cheaper than this now, so hurry!) I'll only really be wearing them for dog walking & drunken St-Pattie day street wandering after all! The great part, is they come with a removable sock to keep your feet warm! These can be purchased at Aldo online, but I recommend you get a size bigger than normal, as normally I'm an 8 1/2 -9 and I got a 10 and they're still snug! They come in black (which i got), hunter green and these cute grey ones!

Photo Credit: aldoshoes.com

Cheers!

Summer's coming!

About 5 and half months ago I quit smoking. It’s something that was on my mind for a while, and needed to be done, so I bit the bullet and quit cold turkey, I can tell you it feels fantastic! I feel that since I’ve accomplished that, I can accomplish anything.

My next goal (because I believe in one thing at a time) was to hit the gym, and completely change my current lifestyle of being lazy and unhappy with my body, to living a healthy and active life! It’s said that “you cannot change a person, only they can change themselves”, and I completely agree. I am making the change now for myself and nobody else, and it feels great!

As a baker, I test cupcakes all the time and often feel guilty or cut myself down for eating sweets so often. I won’t say that, that’s the exact reason why I’m making this change, but it’s definitely motivating knowing that bikini season is around the corner!

Aside from my regular gym program, I started up Zumba dance class again, and boy did it kick my ass! I would definitely recommend this class to anybody who’s looking for a great work out! Zumba is Latin inspired dance class that will leave you feeling like you just ran a marathon! Zumba involves dance and aerobics elements, and the choreography incorporates hip hop, salsa, mambo, and Bollywood (to name a few). Taught by the ridiculously talented Amy Cooper at Club Ouest in Saint-Lazare, you don’t need to be a member to join the class*! You will feel Amy’s amazing energy the second you walk in the room, and it will keep you pumped all the way till the end of the 1 hour session. For more information, and class schedule, check out Club Ouest’s website!

*There is a class fee, but it is worth every penny! Note that if you do not live in the area, no worries, there's a class within your community, contact your local gym!

Cheers!

Tuesday's Tune - February 21st, 2012

I come from a small town, when I say small, I mean we literally only have 2 bars. Now there's definitely pros and cons that come with living in such a small town, but I can tell you that a major pro is discovering ridiculously talented artists. Chateau du Lac (one of the two bars), hosts live music every Saturday night, and today's tune is from a band that's made quite the name for themselves on their stage.

Tim Smith from Tim's Myth, is a singer/songwriter, and has been well established in the country, rock, and folk scene in Montreal and Ottawa for the past ten years. Tim’s Myth & the 444’s formed in 2011 with Tim Smith as their lead vocalist and on rhythm acoustic, Rick Clarke on bass and vocals, Nic Power on lead guitar, mandolin, and vocals, and last but not least, Mark Charbonneau on drums, and percussion. It's said that "Tim’s Myth & the 444’s is an experience of the heart via soulful sounds and playful grooves." After hearing them live a handful of times I can fully agree with that statement!


The band is pleased to announce that they will be releasing their new 11 song album called, "The Thread", this Thursday night (February 23rd, 2012) at The Sala Rossa located on 4848 St-Laurent blvd in Montreal, Qc. With a low cover charge of $10, the doors will open at 8:00pm, with an opening act by "The Fort", and Dj Q spinning between sets, this is something that you will not want to miss! Tickets will be sold at the door, so be sure to get there a little early before the lineup starts ;-)


So without further ado, here is Tuesday’s tune! Fresh off their new album "The Thread", here's "Holy Shepherdess" by Tim's Myth!

Soo good right? For more band information, and to purchase previous albums from Tim's Myth, check out Mythouse Productions.

Tim's Myth "The Thread" Album Release

*February 23th, 2012*
The Sala Rossa  

4848 boul. St-Laurent
Montreal, QC H2T 1R6

$10 at the door

Doors Open at 8:00pm

Cheers!

Maestro SVP

This past Saturday night I was treated to a delicious dinner at one of Montreal's trendy hot spots called Maestro SVP, located on St-Laurent corner Prince Arthur. If you're into seafood, this is a restaurant for you! Famous for their 20 different types of fresh oysters, Maestro offers all types of seafood dishes! Probably the best calamari I've ever had, and their coconut shrimp wasn’t far behind either, delicious! For my main course, I had the Shrimp pasta. It was a linguini pasta in an olive oil lemon sauce, with capers, pieces of jumbo shrimp, and garlic confit tomatoes. I definitely recommend this dish to any shrimp lover, my mouth is watering just thinking about it now!

I will definitely be returning here for future date nights & birthday events, with being centrally located on the "Main", it's the perfect place to go before enjoying a night out on the town!

For information on other delicious dishes, check out their online menu at MaestroSVP.com.

Cheers!

Friday, you look Smashing

It totally feels like spring outside! Walking the dog this morning was great, the drive in, even better, there was hardly any snow! I realize this is a result of global warming, but I’m all for an early spring/ summer, so bring it on mother nature!

Jenna Marble's video was super funny this week, (what else is new)...she's so strange & I love it. Best Cinnamon Challenge I've seen to date! Check it out!

I love the part where she laughs and it blows out like fire, hilarious!

Cheers everyone! Have a great weekend!

xo



Talent

SO 5 things has been postponed till next week, as I've been meaning to share this fantastic talent with you for months. My girlfriend texted me to check out this group because they were crazy good, so I took her word for it and Youtubed it. WOW is all I can say, so awesome! They have a ton of other videos that you should all check out as well!

Somebody I used to know (cover) by Walk off the Earth



Post V-Day

Happy Hump day! :)

Hope you all had a fun Valentine's day! Whether you shared it with your man, lady, or friends, it's always fun to do something a little special for the people you love! I got these beautiful flowers and a great wine! (Cupcake Vineyard, Cabernet Sauv. - amazing)

Here's some pictures from Valentine's day! Next up -  Easter!

Cheers!

Tuesday's Tune - February 14th, 2012

Happy Valentine's day fellow readers!

Today's tune is to pay tribute to one of the best female singers of all time, the late Whitney Houstan.

I have to say that the news of Whitney's death completely shocked me, and made me feel sick and uneasy. Hearing about any death makes me feel this way, and it makes me realize how precious life is, and how quickly real it can become, when you hear of a loss. 

I was pretty annoyed with Facebook and Twitter comments stating that "she deserved this", and that we "shouldn't be making a big deal out of her death". The thing is, Whitney Houstan was a big deal, she helped shape our music as we know it today, and touched millions of people's lives with her lyrics. I found it disrespectful and tactless to say such things about her. Addiction much like we saw with Amy Winehouse, is a disease, and unfortunately it always ends up getting the best of us. In my opinion, when someone passes, we shouldn't bash or criticize the choices he or she made, but rather celebrate their lives for who they were. In Whitney's case, she was a music legend. I cannot tell you how many drunken girls nights have ended up with multiple Whitney sing a longs, it truly makes me sad that we've lost such a great talent, especially at such a young age. Rest in Peace Whitney, I thank you for your music, it will live on forever.

Off the album "My Love is Your Love", (released in 1998), here is tuesday's tune. "My Love is Your Love", my favorite song from the late Whitney Houstan.

Cheers to Whitney

Puppy Love

Hope you all had a great weekend! Up north was absolutely fantastic! My weekend is still going on right now, as I took today off :) However, I'll still be technically working this afternoon, as I'll be in full blown production mode for Valentine's day!

Here's cupcakes from last week, they were a hit! Vanilla Butter Cake, with Vanilla Buttercream icing, fondant details and edible images.

Cheers!

C'est Vendredi!

I have never been so excited for it to be Friday! (Ok maybe I have, but still.. soooo stoked!)
I'm heading straight up north from work today, it's going to be greeeat! I've been patiently waiting for this day to come for a while now, the brisk northern air, delicious food, good wine, and great people - nothing better!

I'm excited to share some fun cupcakes with you in a couple of days! I have to wait until the client delivers them before sharing with you all, just in case I ruin any surprises! ;-)
In the meantime, I'll share some I did for a coworker! Awesome colors!

Here's the latest Jenna Marbles! Have a great weekend!

Cheers!

5 Things

A Crewed Interest

I get extremely excited about new shades of nail polish, it's sort of becoming a sick addiction! I'm in love with this peachy color by Essie called "A Crewed Interest". You can purchase this at your local Walmart!



Photo Credit: essie.com

The Color Purple

No Crystale, (if you're reading this) not the movie (haha), the actual color purple. I'm totally in love with all shades of purple, particularly Lilac! This Wilton icing coloring in "Violet" is amazing for achieving all the wonderful shades of this gorgeous color! You can purchase this color at your local Bulk Barn Store.

Photo credit: google.com

Photo Credit: Wilton.com

 

SEMK Cupcake Speakers

How cute are these? Unfortunately I cannot find a place to purchase them in Canada or the US, but I found them online and they're so adorable! Fun for laying out in the sun in the park, studying, and of course, baking in the kitchen!

Photo Credit: kaboodle.com

 

Lana Del Ray; Born to Die

My buddy at work introduced me to Lana Del Ray sometime last year, it's only recently that I started listening to the entire Album. Love her!

Most of you will recognize her song "Video Games" from the radio, it's definitely one of my favorites off the album. You can purchase this album off Itunes or HMV.

Photo Credit: hmv.com

Dulce & Banana

This herbal chamomile tea has the perfect hint of banana, so delicious! You can get this amazing tea at your local David’s Tea.

Photo Credit: davidstea.com

Cheers!

Tats

So yesterday was fun…my cat brought home fleas AGAIN. This is the 3^rd time in 6 months! He spends 90% of his time outside, and I thought once the snow hit, I wouldn’t have to do those monthly precautions anymore, I forgot the small detail that he hangs out with all stray cats! Lesson learned. Not only is it costly, but it’s a pain in A because I’m allergic to these tiny little bugs, so I woke up with welts all over my body (super attractive). Anyways, now that’s all taken care of, and I’ve distressed, I can get back to being excited about cupcakes!

After a little online browsing the other day, I came across this really cool product for cupcakes, Cupcake Tattoos! This company called Duff (Duff is the dude from Ace of Cakes on TLC), sells tattoos for cakes, cupcakes, and cookies!  Really loving the animal print! Unfortunately I have yet to find these sold in Québec (typical), but there’s this amazing craft store called Michaels in Ontario, that I’ve been meaning to check out and stock up on a few items! These cupcake tattoos are definitely on my list!

Photo Credit: partyanimalblog.com



Photo Credit: michaels.com

Cute right?

Cheers!

Mel's Meals - Stuffed Baked Chicken Breast

Mel! Today's meal is extremely delicious, it seems like it would be difficult, but it's actually super easy to make! I'm not sure if I ever made this one for you, but it's definitely one of my favorites! I originally discovered this combination at restaurant "Sunny's", about 3-4 years ago, but of course like any recipe, I played around with it, and made it my own!

I basically took a chicken breast, slit it in half, added sun-dried tomatoes, pesto and kalamata olives, and then topped it with goat cheese. I then close the chicken breast and add salt, pepper and a little drizzle of Olive oil. I normally like to pair it with an oil and garlic pasta, but I decided to go with rice tonight. It's also good with a fresh spring salad, or really any roasted or steamed vegetable.

Stuffed Baked Chicken Breast

Ingredients;

1 Chicken Breast

5 Kalamata Olives, chopped

1 Tbsp Sun-dried Tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 Tsp Pesto (fresh or store bought)

1 & 1/2 Tbsp Goat Cheese

Salt, Pepper

Olive Oil

Preheat oven at 350 degrees

Start by chopping up the olives & sun-dried tomatoes. Combine in a bowl with the pesto and mix all together.

Cut the chicken breast almost all the way through, creating a slit.

Add the filling to the center of the chicken. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top of the bed of olives and tomatoes.Close the chicken breast.

Add salt & pepper to the chicken breast and drizzled with Olive Oil

Bake at 350 degrees, for 25 minutes!

 

Remove from oven, and serve with your choice of side dish!

Enjoy!

Cheers!

Red Velvet

Here's some pics from this weeks cupcakes!

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.” -Audrey Hepburn

 Photo Credit: k8tem.wordpress.com

Last night I baked up a red velvet storm, and of course I had to try them. As mentioned before I’m not big a cake fan, but when it comes to red velvet, HUGE fan! The results were fantastic, super delicious! Pictures to follow this weekend!

Well somehow we’ve reached Friday again! It’s great, because it’s obviously one of the best days of the week, but I just can’t believe how fast life is flying by us! Reality is sinking in that before I know it, I’ll be in my mid 50s reminiscing on these exact days, and wishing I lived them up more. So I make this a challenge to myself, and to all of you who read this, live each day as if it was your last. It’s a cliché saying I know, but It’s SO true! Appreciate and enjoy every second of it, don’t steer away from the things that make you scared, because in the end those will be the best, and most exciting memories and life lessons one can have!

Where is this all coming from you ask? Well I think it’s important to realize these things sometimes, positivity goes much further than negativity! Having said that, I wish you all a wonderful weekend –live it up!



As per usual, here's your weekly Jenna Marbles video!

Cheers!

5 Things

EOS LipBalm

Evolution of Smooth makes these amazing lipbalms. They sell multiple flavors, and they ALL sound great. I've only tried two, because I believe they were only recently introduced to Québec, but I definitely recommend them! These can be purchases at your local Walmart or select pharmacies!

Photo Credit: evolutionofsmooth.com

Southern Belle

This is a delicious Peachy Black Tea from David's Tea collection. I'm totally obsessed! This can be purchased at your local David's Tea!

Photo Credit: davidstea.com

Wilton Baking Cups

I found these mini baking cups last night at Ares kitchen supplies! I'm really into floral, and I found these were really fun with spring/summer around the corner! These can be purchased at your local Ares store!

Michael Kors Twist Head Wrap

I fell in love with this one on my lunch hour about a month ago in the Michael Kors store near my work. I've yet to go back because I literally own over 25 scarves (sick addiction), but after looking at it again online... I might have to be bad, and just bite the bullet. How perfect would this be for walking little Behr? The color I saw and fell inlove with, was Camel (also sick addiction).

These can be purchased at your local Michael Kors Store.

Photo Credit: michaelkofficial.com

Elegant Apron

I'm in love with this Apron from Etsy. The colors are calm and simple, the pattern super feminine, but it's the bow that just wins me over, so cute! This can be purchased under CreativeChics at Etsy.com.

Cheers!