"Welcome back" cupcakes

What is it about cupcakes!


These golden cupcakes, baked from scratch, were waiting for my brother on the kitchen table when he arrived home from Seattle last week. They spelled "welcome back" to commemorate this particular trip home, but also to celebrate the news that he will be moving back to Toronto (for good) in just a few weeks!

New bucket list item: Learn how to make better designs with the cake/cupcake tools my aunt gave me last Christmas.

Main Ingredients: Lots of eggs, lots of butter, lots of sugar, and lots of love.

Also... happy first day of summer!

Tangled (and my love for all things Disney)

Tangled is my new favourite movie! I have always loved Disney movies, and this one is as fantastic as the rest.

Let’s address the preconceptions about Disney first. Yes, Disney movies are often too idealistic and usually place too much importance on finding a Prince Charming. On the other hand, they are fun, hopeful, and carry strong moral themes. I like that Disney movies are optimistic and magical. Can’t we dream a little sometimes?

The movie is based on the German fairy tale “Rapunzel,” with a new take on the storyline and characters. Rapunzel decides to escape the tower and she experiences the good and the bad of the real world, alongside her handsome companion Flynn Rider.

On a deeper level, I can relate. I too will be leaving home soon, and I will be facing the real world with the man in my life. Rapunzel is unsure of whether she should leave home, but she realizes that it is time to move on. We can never be fully ready or prepared to enter into a new stage of life, but that is part of growing up. Why not try to accept change and face adventures, rather than fearing what is ahead! This year is full of change for me, and I need to keep reminding myself to have this perspective. And the title of the movie is so fitting. Life is tangled and complicated sometimes.

The scenery is enchanting, such as the image of Rapunzel and her “prince” releasing lanterns on the water by the palace.

The characters are funny and endearing, and her so-called mother, the villain, is just the right amount of creepy. Rapunzel’s chameleon, Pascal, and the palace guard horse, Maximus, have no speaking lines but they are thoroughly entertaining.

I should also mention that the soundtrack is great too. Oh Disney, I love thee.

(Images are from Rotten Tomatoes)

Cookies! The "Canadian Living" type.

I love baking and eating cookies. It's a fact. The Canadian Living Baking Book has some great recipes that are simple and reliable. I made two of their cookie recipes this week!


My absolute favourite recipe of all time is Crisscross Peanut Butter Cookies. Crumbly, peanut butter-y, and delicious. I just realized that I didn't complete the "cross" part of the "crisscross" this time around, but the taste was still amazing ;)


I also like the Oatmeal Cookies recipe, yum. I added chocolate chips to the batter, but you can add whatever you like! Chocolate, raisins, cranberries... they're all delightful.


Have a delicious long weekend!

Thank you

A big thank you to Arlene for "branding" me with a new header! Soft, pretty and delicate... I absolutely love it!! She knows me so well.

Thanks Arlene for surprising me with the design and an even bigger thank you for your friendship! You are such an encouragement to me. God bless!

Valentine's Day Cake (marble)

Made with love, by Lisa (my sister) and Stephanie, for our dad and my fiancé, on Valentine's Day.

(Sorry, the pictures aren't the best quality)


This would be excellent for a cow-themed cake!

MORE cupcakes, and jello too!

Purple cupcakes, purple nachos, purple candies, purple decorations, and more! Why so much purple? It was for Arlene and Adrian's purple themed Stag and Doe!! Special friends deserve a special day... and tastey treats too!

Here are just a few pictures of the snacks and decor that were created at my house (a lot of other people put even more time & effort into the party!!).


Credit goes to my sister Lisa for perfecting the shade of purple in the icing.


Mmm, jello jigglers!

It truly was a day of celebration! The tissue paper was cut up into little pieces and pasted on large cut-outs drawn by hand of "celebrate" letters. We got the idea from elementary school projects, so it clearly wasn't too hard to make. Again, thanks to Lisa for the help!

Beautiful long weekend in Seattle, Washington!

I spent four days visiting my brother in Seattle, Washington! I had never been before... and I haven't been to the West Coast in over ten years (when I visited family in San Francisco), so it was great to be there! The best thing was seeing my brother, and spending time with him and Chika. The other best things about the trip were being on a vacation and exploring a new place!


Seattle is known for high consumption of delicious coffee (Starbucks, Tully's, and Seattle's Best all began here), cutting-edge musicians (just to name a few: Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam), the 605 feet high Space Needle, the setting of television shows and movies (Sleepless in Seattle, Frasier, and Grey's Anatomy), the Pike Place Market (a continually operated farmers' market), and of course, Seattle is known for Bill Gates' Microsoft empire. I've included some scenic shots from my trip... I had no idea that Seattle was this beautiful!

The paintball scene from "Ten Things I Hate About You" was shot here! I like the composition of this photo. Is composition the right word? Do I mean contrast?

Boat home... I wonder what life would be like there...

Some scenes from Grey's Anatomy are shot here.

We saw this driving down the street on our first day in Seattle and wondered what on earth this vehicle was about! And then we saw it again on our second day at a Sunday market festival! All our questions were answered: it's a pig-like vehicle that opens up on the side to serve BBQ. Ouch.

Pom poms! Near the market.

Cool architecture for a Cold Stone ice cream shop. Near the market again.

Chika figured he should eat lots of seafood on our trip because we were on the West Coast. This is the meal he ate at the Space Needle.

Really great kitchen store! They had everything that you could ever think you would need in a kitchen... even spatulas with cute designs on them! It was fun and I didn't even buy anything.

The amazing Snoqualmie Falls. Breathtaking. God's masterpiece.