in the world this very minute.
My sister’s boy—Tim, home at last after 2 years in St. Petersburg, Russia.
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White Rabbit Candy Winner!
Kati!
Congratulations my dah-ling. You were the lucky “rabbit” we pulled out of the hat. Your White Rabbit candy will soon be on it’s way to you.
Thanks to everyone who entered. Stay tuned–there’s more going on…soon.
:}
Grandmother Willow
Some of you may not know this, but Grandmother Willow actually lives in our backyard.
No kidding.
I’ll tell you, she is one huge, unruly, ominous tree with disobedient branches scrawling clear across the yard.
Again, I’m not kidding.
Some of the limbs were so long and scary that we had to worry that in a good hard wind storm, we might have few fence casualties. Not OK.
There was nothing to do but to call for Lumberjack Dane.
Oh, he chopped and hacked and twisted and yanked…
and hacked and sawed and piled. That’ll teach the old girl to stay within the borders of Munchkin land and not wander off on forbidden paths.
At last, Grandmother Willow was subdued, but it was no small deal. In fact, it was back breaking work for the Lumberjack dude.
Luckily there was a comfy Bungie Chair with his name on it…
there were pretty little cheerleaders to watch and clap just at the right moment…
and Otter Pops…always, always…there are Otter Pops. What cannot be accomplished with such a combo, I ask you?
Next up…world domination.
:} 569
White Rabbit Candy
When I was a little girl, growing up in L.A. there was a small shop down the street that all the kids called the Japanese store. It was a tiny place but just perfect if you wanted to spend the change in your pocket…or your milk money.
On the left side of the counter there always seemed to be a box of chocolate “Ice Cubes” for 5 cents each. But on the right side, at two for a nickle–was the good stuff…the White Rabbit candy. Incredibly cool. Haven’t tasted it in a hundred years.
So when April’s Jacob came back from a trip to the Orient, we were pretty happy with the present he brought us. Here’s why…
After unwrapping each piece, you find a second wrapper–made of rice paper–that you just eat. No, really. It melts in your mouth and then you get to the actual candy. It’s kind of a cream taffy that tastes a lot like–well, cream. So dang good.
So tasty in fact, that we gobbled them up in like 12 minutes.
Pretty sure Miss Chompy ate like 400 of them. So it’s actually her fault that I had to get online and…
buy a bit more. It seems that I have a possession problem.
As therapy–I’ll do a quick little giveaway for one of my precious bags. I should be more generous but I’m not cured yet…so it’s one bag. Sometimes I break out in hives when I share too much. Baby steps, folks…baby steps.
Leave a comment and I’ll announce the winner of the stupendous White Rabbit candy on Friday August 5th at 10am…if there’s any left that is.
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Happy Birthday Maude!!
:} 569
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
No, no–you’d never realize it, but there is a goofy green vegetable hidden away in this innocent looking cupcake. And the best part is that you’d never know it was in there because you’ll be too busy rolling your eyes back in your head over the incredible chocolate loveliness–that is this scrumptious cupcake. Try to remain calm…
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
1-1/4 cups butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups grated zucchini
1 tub chocolate frosting
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating well after each addition. Add zucchini. Batter will be thick and fluffy.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Frost cupcakes.
Make them without shame.
Gobble them up with wild abandon.
After all–we must eat our vegetables, mustn’t we?
Heh, heh.
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Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups butter
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 tub chocolate frosting
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Combine the flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating well after each addition.
- Add zucchini.
- Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
- Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
- Frost cupcakes.