A (Tasty) Year In Review: 2011

2011 was memorable, I'm sure. A lot happened, anyways. I think. To be honest, after a long Christmas vacation, the last 12 months are kinda blurry to me right now. I had to set aside some time, sit down, and take a long look at the treats we've baked over the year. Some I looked back with fondness, others I shook my head for a while and thought "Why oh why did I think that was a good idea?"

Here's a run down of some of C&C's most distinctive desserts of 2011:

January - Nutella Crème Brûlée

Before this post, creme brulee was something utterly frightening and unattainable. Five star restaurants make it, not someone who puts bacon and sauerkraut into cupcakes. Finally, I swallowed my somewhat awkward pride and went head first into zee creme. And boy did I ever. 

February - Cthulhu Cupcakes

Things we learned while reading this post: I'm a nerd. I'm a bit insane. The dark lord Cthulhu will come and end us all.

March - The Captain Kirk

This was one of Mr. C's favourite cupcakes ever. And for good reason too: It tasted like ice cream.

April - Vegan Vanilla Sex Bob-omb

The Sex Bob-omb is a whole lot of work. I actually don't think I'd attempt a batch again. Last time I'm pretty sure I ODed on vegan pastry cream.

May - Victorian Sandwich Cakes

This post just goes to show you that I can be delicate and refined. What you don't see is I'm picking my nose. Right now.

June - Boston Cream Pie Cookies

I just wanted to repost this one so I could tell Luongo to eat a D once again. Hey, Luongo! Eat a D.

July - Butter Tart Canada Day Cupcakes

So patriotic. Brings a maple syrup flavoured tear to my eye.

August - Hufflepuff Cookies

Our Hogwarts Cookies were all beloved - but this was our most requested. Maybe it's because it was filled with every type of candy bar you could imagine. Or maybe it's because IT'S THE SIZE OF YOUR FACE.

September - Vegan Brownies (and PB & Banana Vegan Ice Cream)

I will stand by this recipe forever. This is the best brownie - vegan or no - I've ever made. The ice cream was melt-your-face-off amazing as well.

October - Bloody Beet Cupcakes

I don't think cupcakes that taste like vegetables will catch on. I hope I can convince a few of you with this recipe, though.

November - Prince Charming Pumpkin Cupcakes

In which we found out that Prince Charming is sort of a loser.

December - A Trio of Vegan Christmas Cookies

Our most popular vegan treat this year - and no wonder. These things will have you "Ho Ho Hoing" until next year.

And there you have it, folks! C&C 2011 in a nut shell! Let's hope that 2012 brings more memorable treats (you know it will). Mr. C and I wish you a very champagne-filled New Years! If you have your own 2011 year in review for your own blog, make sure you link it up here -We love to read and reminisce about cookies/cupcakes of yore. 

Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes

I already posted a lovely gingerbread cupcake. But there's a million little cupcakes out there. In fact, there are a million little Christmas treats out there. The majority of which have quite a lot of butter and cream. When you think about it, most of what is traditionally served on Christmas is not exactly vegan/veggie friendly. You've got your turkeys and hams and lambs etc etc. Even the produce tends to have dairy and or meaty things on top. I mean, why ruin those yummy yams with a gob of marshmallows? Actually, could someone explain that one to me?

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

Everyone needs a little Christmas spirit in their lives. Even if they're not really into Christmas.

A Trio of Vegan Christmas Cookies

Movember took a lot out of us - I mean, we did have to consume quite a few intense cupcakes. Taking a break was a necessity (especially for Mr. C's waistline). I thought we could take the month to relax. And detox.

Of course, I forgot that December comes after November. December means Christmas. And that means Christmas cake, pies, bars, chocolate. Oh, and cookies. So. Many. Cookies.

Picture taken by Laura of The First Mess. 

I'm usually pretty good at avoiding all those holiday sweets - most of them are verboten anyways, just because of all that non-vegany buttery stuff they usually contain. (Don't worry, Mr. C usually takes one for the team and eats my share as well.)

This year, however, I signed up for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. I love baking for others, so I thought it was nifty to send a little box of C&C goodness across the country to brighten someone else's day. Unfortunately, I forgot about the other half of this little deal - I send out boxes of cookies, yes, but that means that I'll get a whole hell of a lot of cookies back. Oh. Dear. I don't know if my poor little bloated tummy could handle such things.

The 2011 Movember Manly Cupcake Champion!

Shhhh! Do you hear that? That, my friends, is the sounds of trillions of tiny hairs being scrapped off upper lips. Today is the day that men everywhere finally shave off those really nasty porno 'staches and come back to the world of socially acceptable facial hair. Together, Canadian Mo Bros and Sistas raised $32 million for prostate and testicular cancer research, as well as other not-so-nice men's health issues. Pretty cool huh?

The end of November means the end of our Movember Manly Cupcake Contest. Which also means you finally get to know who the true champion of champions is. I've taken all the judges scores, added them all up and averaged the points. Let's run down the scores and get down and dirty:

Cupcake #1

The Anchorman

Scores:Taste - 4 / 5Decoration - 3 / 5Overall Uniqueness - 3.5 / 5Overall Manliness:  4 / 5Judges Comments:

• "[The scotch is] a bit strong tasting . . . perhaps I'm not manly enough for this cupcake."
• "A bit heavy, but somehow adds to the manliness."
• "It's delightful lingering hint of scotch has given me a lady erection."

Baker's Comments:

I love acorn squash. So very much. I was a bit cautious about putting it into a cake, though - I thought the delicate flavour of the squash would be over-powered by the spice. But, nope, that squash shined through just fine. The overall flavour was lovely - I would have kicked a bit more spice, but that's just splitting hairs. The texture came out a little heavy and spongy for me. The scotch frosting was amazing. Very sweet, yes, but the flavour of the liquor was Spot. On. A little too strong for some of the judges, yes, but not for me. But I'm a booze hound.

Cupcake #2

The Doc Holiday

Scores: Taste - 2 / 5Decoration - 4 / 5Overall Uniqueness - 3.5 / 5Overall Manliness: - 2 / 5Judges Comments:

• "Pleasant enough . . . icing was too sweet."
• "It takes a real man to wear pink and a mo."
• "Taste didn't quite live up to it's rootin' tootin' decor."

Baker's Comments: 

I have a confession to make: using shortening in baking kind of frightens me. And, when I saw how much shortening was used in the Doc Holiday, I was indeed a little frightened. But, after baking the cake, my anxiety was eased. The cake had a good crumb and nice vanilla flavour. It did, however, end up being way too sweet for my tastes - I'd actually take out a quarter to a third of the sugar just to balance things out a bit. The frosting had promise, but I believe a mellow icing - like a swiss meringue - would have treated the berries way better. The deadly amounts of confectioners' sugar overwhelmed the delicate huckleberry. That said, I believe this cupcake would be very much loved at any birthday party. 

Cupcake #3

The Clint Eastwood

Scores:Taste - 4 / 5Decoration - 4.5 / 5Overall Uniqueness - 3.5 / 5Overall Manliness -  3.5 / 5Judges Comments:

• "Too much butter in the icing . . . delicious cake."
• "Best cake of the bunch."
• "Did not cause me to immediately sprout a mustache. May need more guns."

Baker's Comments:

I love it when I get a chance to smuggle beer into my baking. This cake had a lovely texture, crumb, and a perfect chocolate flavour. The smell of the stout really hugged the cupcake, but the taste wasn't quite there. Of course, I have yet to figure out how to get a really bold beer flavour out of my baked goods (please someone tell me!). The frosting had an amazing flavour - the texture, however, wasn't quite right. I think it had something to do with the ratio of butter to everything else. I am sad to say I never got to make the whiskey ganache that went with this cupcake - the recipe on the blog link did not include directions, and I had to stay true to the recipe. Next time, though, that whiskey ganache is mine!

Now that we've seen the point break down, lets finally find out WHO'S CUISINE REIGNS SUPREME . . .

Cupcake #1 : 14.5 / 20

Cupcake #2: 11.5 / 20

Cupcake #3: 15.5 / 20

Congratulation to Shaleena of Sweet Catastrophe Cakes!
Your Clint Eastwood Cupcakes are the Manliest Cupcakes of 2011!

Yay you!

To all our finalists - Shaleena, Dez, and Beth - thank you for making this such an amazing contest. Your creativity and cupcakes were all truly off the hook. We had an absolute blast, and I hope everyone out there in blogland did as well. Now, to the good part. The prizes:

• Kriskrop Memories- One dozen cupcake toppers
• The Lunch Box Project - A set of Cupcake Cards
• Cake Wrecks - A personalized copy of Cake Wrecks and a pin pack
• Vanilla Food Company - 1lb of Madagascar vanilla beans for the Grand Prize winner, and a quarter pound for the two runners up
• Bella Cupcake Couture - one pack of Cupcake Wrappers for each of our Finalists
• Drama Llama - a handmade woven and mustachioed pouch
• Freaky Fleece - a drawstring Mustache bag
• Petite Pastries - a handmade cupcake charm
• Miss Kitty Creations - a special edition Tuxedo Cupcake Charm
• Scoop-n-Save - A Manly Movember Prize pack, including sprinkles, disco dust, cupcake liners, cookie cutter, and chocolate molds
• Whodini Handmade - A mustachioed vinyl wallet
  

I will be emailing you and the sponsors  to get the gravy train moving. If the finalists could email me your addresses preemptively, that would help get everything to you much quicker. YAY FREE STUFF!

Much love to all our prize sponsors, everyone who entered, and everyone who set eyes on our blog during the month of November. You really made the Movember Foundation proud! Remember, only 365 days until the Next Manly Cupcake Contest! You better get planning, because we sure are!

2011 Manly Cupcake Finalists

The votes are in, people. We finally have our three supreme cupcakes that will face off in the ultimate bake-off this weekend. Without further ado:

The People's Choice

The Anchorman from Young Idealistic Baker

If you've been watching the votes all week, you know that this was an amazingly close race. In fact, I believe The Anchorman came into first place with just a few hours left! Wowwy wow wow! I'm super excited about this cupcake - perhaps because I love squash cake, perhaps because Anchorman is the bee's knees. Congrats Beth for being the People's Choice!

The Baker's Choice

The Giant Clint Eastwood by Sweet Catastrophe Cakes

This was another super close race. Like, within two points close. This giant monster of a cupcake came screaming into the lead on Friday, guns a-blazin'. I think it's how Clint would have done it. Both Mr. C and I are excited about the Stout and Irish Whiskey combo - it means we have an excuse to buy more booze! I thank the sweet lord that I don't have to recreate the decor - that shit is bananas!

C&C's Choice

The Doc Holiday from Sweets by Dez

Mr. C and I grumbled over this decision all week long. There were so many cupcakes we wanted to try - Mr. C will hate me forever if I don't eventually bake up that Yosemite Sam recipe - but there was one that did stand slightly above the rest. The Doc Holiday's decor was impressive, but beneath that lay a pretty tasty looking recipe. We're rum people in this house, and that huckleberry frosting is super bright (especially during the dank Vancouver winter we've been having). Plus, I've got two words for you: Val Kilmer.

Before we go off to collect ingredients and warm up the oven, I've really got to give a giant thanks to everyone who took the time to enter this contest! No mater how many people voted for you, you've got to remember that you all really have worked hard and put a lot of effort into Movember. Don't worry too much about not making it to the finals, you've done more than enough by raising awareness and money for men's health! Each and every cupcake recipe here will be kept in our recipe bank, because I definitely want to be tasting them all ! The creativity of this year was outstanding - I hope we see you all next year!

As for the finalists, we will be baking your cupcakes throughout this weekend. We're bringing in a team of professional cupcake-testers who will be judging each manly morsel by taste, uniqueness, manliness, and overall design. We'll only be recreating the taste - the pictures and blog post you've sent in will take care of everything else. 

Now then, we've got a handful of judges to put in a sugar coma! We'll chat again soon!

The 2011 Movember Manly Cupcake Roundup

Ten marvelous bakers have decided to put on their big boy britches and dive in head first into a pool of testostorone and frosting. We're going to let them wrestle around for a bit (maybe they'll tire each other out?). Meanwhile, it's now up to you to vote for your favourite! Remember, we're looking for something extra special. Something that's full of flavour, character, originality. Oh, and manliness.

A reminder to how the final voting works: You, the people, can vote for one cupcake each. The bakers will also vote by email, and will choose a cupcake recipe (that's not their own) to be the Baker's Choice. Finally, Mr. C and I will choose a third cupcake to battle in the final showdown, which will take place next weekend.

So, take some time. Read through the contenders. And get with the voting!

Orange Clove Chuck's Cake

Orange Clove Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and Cloved & Candied Orange Peel

by Mariana of AlphaBeta Pie and Cakes

Clove is mainly identical with men. In Indonesia, we also use clove to make cigarette. This is why I choose this recipe to join this contest. Clove in the cupcake will give a strong after-taste (it does, really). The Mo from the Movies that perfectly suited this recipe is Chuck Norris. I choose him because the orange color from the orange peel represent his blonde hair and especially his bold mustache. The blue color on the buttercream represent his bright blue eyes.

The Shaft

Toffee Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and Toffee Peanuts

by David of Cupcakes Everywhere

Our cupcake is sexy, bad ass...it's Samuel L. Jackson's SHAFT, "SHUT YO MOUTH" good! The cupcake is a peanut butter cake with toffee peanuts on top. The icing is also a rich peanut butter icing and a toffee peanut on top. I figured, if it's going to be manly it has to have nuts!

The Yosemite Sam

Brown Sugar Brown Butter Beef Jerky Cupcake with BBQ Cream Cheese and fondant decoration

by Lena of Frosted Bakery

A rootin' tootin' good time for all you varmints! 

The Man with No Name Cupcake

Vanilla Bacon Cupcakes with Bacon Buttercream and Candied Bacon

by Jessica of Jessy Cupcake Company

I made a Vanilla Bacon Man with No Name Cupcake decorated in honor of the manly mustache of the Man With No Name, as played by Clint Eastwood in the Fist full of Dollars Trilogy Films, A Fist Full of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).

The Jack Sparrow

Dark Rum and Eggnog Cupcakes

by Crystal of Reddy Made Cakes

Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) has an awesome mustache and I thought I could come up with some cool ideas. The DVD’s are in the photos to hint that it actually had a MOS OF THE MOVIES theme, not to mention the rum in the cupcakes and in the butter cream. Jack sparrow (Johnny Depp) is all about the rum when in the movie.

The Giant Clint Eastwood Cupcake

Double Chocolate Stout Cake with an Irish Whiskey Butterceam and filled with an Irish Whiskey Ganache sprinkled with cookie crumbs

by Shaleena of Sweet Catastrophe Cakes

The Theme this year is Manly Mo's of the Movies so automatically I thought of Clint Eastwood in The Good , The Bad , And the Ugly I decided on a Double Chocolate Stout Cupcake , topped with a Irish Whiskey Buttercream, filled with a Irish Cream Ganache with a dusting of cookie crumbs for the Ugly ha! That's as cowboy 'd I could get this cupcakes well, without throwing in a Steak and a cigar ! So behold the finished product the art work is all freehand painted.

Bourbon Rhett Velvet Cupcakes

Southern Comfort Red Velvet Cupcakes with Southern Comfort Frosting

by Stephanie of Sweet Sangria

When I think of mustaches in the movies and all things manly, I think of Clark Gable's character, Rhett Butler, in Gone With the Wind and I think of a good southern bourbon.  With this in mind,  I decided to make Bourbon "Rhett" Velvet Cupcakes.  They are rich and smooth with a little bite to them, just how I like my men, haha.  Is it wrong to have more than one?  Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

The Doc Holiday 

Vanilla and Rum Cake with Huckleberry Buttercream

by Dez of Sweets by Dez

After much consideration and brainstorming, my mind kept going to one character in particular from one of my favorite movies...Tombstone. No, its not Wyatt Earp but it's his friend Doc Holiday. Val Kilmer played Doc in that movie. He has really been the best Doc that I have seen so far. I love his phrase in the movie, "I'm your Huckleberry."  I decided to make a Vanilla Cupcake drizzled with Rum topped with a Huckleberry Buttercream. Add a hat, mustache, tin cup, and a gun belt...and *POOF*...you have a Doc Holiday Cupcake.

The Princess Bride Cupcake

Rum Cupcakes with Rum Glaze, Cinnamon-Vanilla filling, and Apple Cream Cheese Frosting

by Holly of Twelve Good Things

As soon as I read it was a movies theme, I immediately thought of my favorite movie: The Princess Bride. In my opinion, the most memorable- and glorious- mustache in the movie graces the lip of Inigo Montoya, although Westley sports a sharp little blonde ‘stache as well. Naturally, a swordfight brings to mind pirates (although, technically, only Westley was a pirate at that point) and what could say “pirate” better than rum? So I started with a rum cake with rum glaze, filled it with cinnamon-vanilla pudding, and topped it with apple cream cheese frosting. 

The Anchorman

Spiced Squash Cupcake topped with a Brown Sugar and Scotch Frosting

by Beth of Young Idealistic Baker

 I took inspiration from the movie Anchorman and picked squash because a male friend suggested it and I thought it was unique enough to be worth trying out (definitely worth it because they were delicious) and scotch because it's Ron Burgundy's drink of choice. The cupcakes were DELICIOUS!! 

A super big thank you to all our amazing contestants for taking the time to support the Movember Foundation and men's health! This really wouldn't have been successful without all of you!

A reminder that the winner of this contest will be receiving some super sweet stuff. Check it out:

The Manly Cupcake Contest Prize Sponsor's Include:

• Kriskrop Memories- One dozen cupcake toppers
• The Lunch Box Project - A set of Cupcake Cards
• Cake Wrecks - A personalized copy of Cake Wrecks and a pin pack
• Vanilla Food Company - 1lb of Madagascar vanilla beans for the Grand Prize winner, and a quarter pound for the two runners up
• Bella Cupcake Couture - one pack of Cupcake Wrappers for each of our Finalists
• Drama Llama - a handmade woven and mustachioed pouch
• Freaky Fleece - a drawstring Mustache bag
• Petite Pastries - a handmade cupcake charm
• Miss Kitty Creations - a special edition Tuxedo Cupcake Charm
• Scoop-n-Save - A Manly Movember Prize pack, including sprinkles, disco dust, cupcake liners, cookie cutter, and chocolate molds
• Whodini Handmade - A mustachioed vinyl wallet
  

Prince Charming's Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes

You have until November 20th at 11:59pm PST to enter the 2011 Movember Manly Cupcake Contest. Better hop to it!

I don't understand the appeal of Prince Charming. I guess he's kind of dreamy, in a sexless, Ken Doll sort of way? But why oh why are all those girls in the Cinderella kingdom climbing all over each other to be with this dude? There must be something going on that we're not seeing. Let's take a closer look.

Barbarian Bars

 This is the last weekend you can send in your entry to our 2011 Movember Manly Cupcake Contest. Hop to it!

If I had to ask you to think of the most rough, tough, and manly movie start out there, who would you picture? Maybe Clint? Sly? Bruce? Chuck? There are a lot of options out there. I just hope to god you don't think of those little pussy boys from those Twilight movies. I'll never forgive you if you do. In fact, you can leave right now. Go on.

Now that there are just the cool guys in here, let me tell you a secret. If you asked me to name the number one manly actions star, in my heart of hearts, there's only one man.

The 2011 Movember Manly Cupcake Contest

Last year, around this time, something magical started. It involved frosting and whiskers. And it was glorious.

This year, we hope to keep the tradition of Movember alive and kicking. Prostate Cancer occurs in every 1 in 6 men in Canada, but it receives less than half the research funds that are available to Breast Cancer. The pink ribbons and reminders about mammograms and pap smears are everywhere, but when's the last time you've seen a parade encouraging men to get tested for testicular cancer? Let's face it: Men are men. They have a hard time talking about their assholes and balls in public. It's time to do something about it.

The Movember foundation, started in 2003, encourages men of all shapes and sizes (as well as their female counterparts) to grow the most manly mustache they can muster. Through this act, men and their supporters will ban together to raise money and awareness for all types of male health problems. Hopefully, in years to come, prostate and testicular cancer will be talked about freely, and funding for these men health issues will start to really flow.

C&C Cakery want to continue to show their support by hosting . . .

Movember is coming . . .

I've got a lot of emails, tweets, carrier pigeons, etc asking us about our plans next month - more specifically, our plans for Movember. Last year, we hosted a pretty sweet contest. This year, it will be Even. Bigger.

Details will be coming up on November 1st. For now, keep an eye on our twitter and facebook for some more clues. If you really want to start to get down and dirty, you can even join our Movember Team or just simply start the donations going.

Until then, all I will leave you with this year's new mascot. It may give you a hint to the new 2011 Movember Manly Cupcake Contest theme. What do you think?

Mr. Cupcake was lovingly created by élise steven illustration

Bloody Beet Cupcakes

I like to hide vegetables in things. Maybe it's my vegan nature. Maybe I physiologically feel better about eating a crapton of sugar if I know there's a bit of spinach hiding in there somewhere. Who knows.

I mentioned before that I'm sorta in a Halloween rut. Usually by now I've pulled a billion spooky recipes out of my butt and shared them all with you. But not this year. Nothing inspired me. Until I went to the farmers market and got a load of those Giant. Red. Beets.

 

Orange Cranberry Sauce Muffins

It's still there. Even after all the squash and brussel sprouts and tofurkey have been disposed of, it's still sitting there. In the back of the refrigerator. Waiting. Biding it's time. It's delicious, don't get me wrong. But it's just one of those condiments that seems endless.

I'm talking about Thanksgiving cranberry sauce. And we've got to have a serious conversation about this stuff.

Old Fashioned Vegan Velvet Cupcakes

By now, you were probably expecting at least one Halloweenie post to come through the tubes around here. I know – it’s pretty strange for me to go this long without baking something with pumpkins or candy corn. This year, I’m sad to say, I’m pretty uninspired for whatever reason. My love of Devil’s Night is still there, but I don’t know if my heart is in it.

Almond-Flour Muffins

I think I need to clear some things up about "Canadian Thanksgiving".

Or, should we say, "Original Thanksgiving". Sorry Americans, we had it way before you.

Calling All Nerds!

Have you ever argued over friends over who was the best Doctor? (Totally Number Ten) - Do still cry over the loss of Ned Stark? Are their more 'graphic novels' on your book shelf than actual books? Boy, do I have a event for you!

Since '71, Vancouver's own Sci-Fi and Fantasy convention has been spreading joy throughout the land of nerds. This year, we'll be joining them with a giant table full of incredible baked goods. Not only are these treats tasty, but they will for sure impress even the most stuck up of comic book guys. As a total bonus, all our proceeds are going to Aunt Leah's Youth Program, which support foster kids and mother's in need. We'll be in the Hospitality Suite on Sunday, from 10am until 5:30pm (or until we sell out!) at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport. You gotta check out what we're dragging along with us:

Tribble Truffles

Starks on a Stick

Bad Wolf Brownies

Browncoat Bars

Sonic Shortbread

Buffy Bites

Hufflepuff Cookies

Cthulhu Cupcakes

(Blue) Milk and Cookies Cupcakes

I really hope you come and visit. If you do, make sure you tweet, blog, and take lots of pictures!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

I like to turn things into other things. For instance: tarts into cupcakes, cakes into cookies, and icky things into tasty things. The one avenue I have never wandered down was somehow putting the magic of cookies into the glory that is cake.

Until now.

Vegan Brownies and PB & Banana Vegan Ice Cream

Well, hello there. I didn't expect to see you here. I'm glad you didn't give up on this little space of the blogoverse. Because I sure as hell almost did.


We had a lot going on over the summer, what with all the bakers markets, special orders, and the whole 'getting married' thing. I barely felt like I had a summer at all. Before I knew it, August 18th had blown in - I suddenly found myself locked in a small classroom with twenty-five tweens for eight hours a day. They weren't excited about the situation. And, to be frank, neither was I. Not only did struggle through the school day, but I found myself lesson planning, developing, and grading for hours every single night. The weekend just meant I could work even more.  No time for myself. No time for baking.

With the new school year crashing into me, I decided that maybe I should give up the blogging way of life. Forget about twitter, flickr, and foodbuzz. Forget about cookies and cupcakes. Then I could concentrate totally and completely on my rowdy little group of Grade 6s. I already give 110% to my teaching profession. Now I could give at least 43% more.

Halwa Basmati Cupcakes

I mentioned in the last post that Mr. C and I finally tied the knot. I hope you didn't get all excited and expect this post to be full of white dresses, flowers, and giant cakes. I'm sorry. We didn't have any of that at our wedding. I actually wouldn't even call what we had a 'wedding'.

We're not wedding people.

Virginia Ginger Peach Bread (and our summer vacation)

This July, Mr. C and I went on a pretty big adventure. We started at America's capital city, dragged our butts through colonial country, hit up the Carolina coast, then dug in to some real southern hospitality.

Oh, and we got hitched. More about that later.

Hogwarts Confections: The Hufflepuff Cookie

I feel bad for making Hufflepuff go last. Out of all the houses, it's usually the one that's being made fun of. But, really, you've got to give these guys credit. They're not uptight, nor do they backstab, and (lets face it) they probably procrastinate better than most of us. Also, Cedric Diggory. Cedric. Diggory.

Hogwarts Confections: The Slytherin Cookie

I got some hate mail for my last post. Okay, hate is a strong word. Disapproving is way more apt.

It seems there were a lot of Gryffindors out there who very much disliked my attitude towards their beloved house. Or, more importantly, their beloved Harry Potter. I deserved it. I used strong words. But that's because I'm a Slytherin.

I know what you're thinking right now - "How could she be a Slytherin? She makes such delicious cupcakes. They can't be evil cupcakes, can they?" Well, let me tell you, Slytherin is not all about the evil. Sure there is a big bad bubble of that stuff hemorrhaging out the side of it, but you've got to look at the total picture:

Hogwarts Confections: The Gryffindor Cookie

Okay. I'm just going to say it outright. Just so there's no misunderstanding.

I'm not a fan of Gryffindor.

Hogwarts Confections: The Ravenclaw Cookie

You know that Mr. C and I are gigantic nerds. Dungeon and Dragons nerds. Joss Whedon nerds. The list goes on and on. The one fandom I'm surprised I haven't touched upon here is Harry Potter. We both, of course, grew up with the books. I have a love/hate relationship with Ms. Rowling - I loved her first four books. I hated that she killed off my favourite characters. Did it really have to be Sirius, Lupin, and Fred? Seriously, JK, you should have just totally manned up and killed off Harry. The little snotrag totally had it coming.

Mr. C is still devoted. He's actually re-reading the entire series before we go see the final film. He's excited. Me? I know I'm just going to end up bawling my eyes out. I had to hide the final book in the freezer while reading it, but I can't do that to a movie. How am I going to get through it, you ask? Cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.