Cookies n Cream Cupcakes Recipe

As promised here is the recipe for my Cookies n Cream Cupcakes. I got this idea of these cupcakes from Pinterest (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE PINTEREST). Pinterest is just a happy place to be, HAHA! These cupcakes are SOOOOOOOOO good and the icing is just EVERYTHING!! I can't even explain how good the icing is, you just have to make them. A lot of you have asked me for the recipe so here it is. I made these for my potluck at work and they were a hit! Hope they are as good for you as they were for me, lol.

 

Cupcake Ingredients: 

24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Icing Ingredients:

8 oz. whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves

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Cupcake Directions:

Preheat the oven 350F. Line the cupcake wells with paper liners. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner cream side up. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir together with a fork and set aside. In another large size bowl combine butter and sugar and beat together on medium speed until fluffy for about two minutes. You can use a mixing spoon for this too if you don't have a mixer, but I promise you your arm will get TIRED, lol! Blend the egg whites one at a time, beating or mixing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until you incorporate everything together pretty good. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over mix.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting Directions:

Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium size bowl and beat on medium-high speed until smooth for about 1-2 minutes (or you can use a mixing spoon but again your arm will be TIRED, lol....TRUST ME). Add the heavy whipping cream to the bowl and beat on low speed or mix just to incorporate the cream, whip or mix until creamy.

Frost the cooled cupcakes as you like. Sprinkle the Oreo crumbs and garnish with an Oreo halves and BAM!!!!! Your done......ENJOY!!!

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Take pictures of your creations and send to llovescinc@gmail.com and I will post them on my blog. Can't wait to see them :)

Happy Thanksgiving Decor

I'm a weeeee bit behind in posting this, but I'm sure you will still appreciate it :). Hope all of you had a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Croix and I sure did. We ate pretty darn good, lol. As you all know I LOVE TO DECORATE!!! So here are my Thanksgiving/Fall home decor :)

Before 

 

 

After

 

 

 

 

This is my Thankful Tree. I wrote down all the things that I am thankful for and glued them on my branches.

 

 

 

Of course Croix is at the very TOP of my tree :)

 

 

 

This candle made my whole house smell like Thanksgiving. LOVE this candle!

 

 

 

Topped it all off with our Thanksgiving/Fall holiday door wreath.

 

 

 

Now I'm preparing for my Winter Wonderland / Santa's Village theme!

xoxo ;)

 

 

My Lollipop Bouquet

My first featured crafting project :) I made this lollipop bouquet for Croix's daycare provider. She is the absolute best and she is so great with Croix. I really wanted to do something nice and fun at the same time. What do you think :) ?

The mess before the finale. I get all my supplies and things from Dollar Tree most times or if I come across the dollar section at Target I ALWAYS load up on things I think I might use for a project.

I placed one of those floral fillers in the bottom of the tin bucket and started filling in the suckers. I used brown paper strips to fill in between the suckers for a fun way of mimicing dirt.

annnnnnd BAM!! All filled in.

I bought the Happy Birthday balloon from the dollar store as well, and made two paper balloons to write my message on them. Add some ribbon and..........

FINISHED PROJECT :) Getting Old SUCKS......Get it???? Sucks......Suckers???? LOL! Wrote her name on the chalk board part of the bucket and packaged it all up in a little brown bag I decorated. She loved it :) So my project was a success :)

Pin my Lollipop Bouquet

Croix's 1st Year Sesame Street Soiree

My baby is 1!!!! I HAVE A ONE YEAR OLD!!! I can't believe it. I am so proud. Croix just lights up my life :) This was my first time planning any kind of party and I think it turned out very well. His party was held at my mothers in Chicago. This was his first of many visits back to mommy's hometown. I custom made all of his decorations and had sooooo much fun making everything. Here are a few pictures of this big day.

My bosses wife custom made his shirt for him and I ordered his shoes from Converse. I bought an inflatable kiddie pool and filled it with balls for Croix and my 1 year old nephew to have an area of there own. I think they appreciated it. I know I did because I didn't have to hold him so much, he is HEAVY!!! lol.

Later we got in the moon bounce and had some mommy son fun time :)

This moon bounce was A LOT of fun and a hit with the kids AND some of the adults. The company  I used was Giggles and  Jumps. EXCELLENT service and very reasonable prices. The owner was soooooo nice, definitely will do business with her again. Check out there website.

www.gigglesandjumps.com

Custom cupcake stands and cupcake toppers courtesy of MEEEEEE :) so happy how they turned out.

Look at my baby!!!! This is one of his 1st year pictures. I had them placed in his custom frame on a few of the tables. His party decorations turned out so well. I got a lot of compliments and a few inquires about making some custom items for a few people. Hmmmmmmm did I just tap into another possible trade????? We shall see ;)

I also had a photo garland of all his pictures from birth til 12 months. It was so precious to see his growth and transformations over the year. He has grown SO much. Grown so much in fact he wears a 2T......CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!

A one year old in a 2T......can you say FUTURE ATHLETE!!! ;) I will be his BIGGEST FAN!! :)

It was a great day Thank you to all that came and supported his Big Day :)