Good Friends

Well the weather here is chilly and the upcoming days are supposed to be wet and cold so I was happy to spend the day at home with my good friend Jean who own The Teapot Quilt Cottage and Garden Center. We caught up on small talk and things going on in the town. Had tea and chatted while I helped her set up an Etsy shop. Jean has so many beautiful quuilted items and recycled wool and denim things, I can't wait to watch her fill the shop. I will share the link with you when she gets some items listed.

Of course, I have no idea where she finds the time. Jean and her husband have a farm where they grow the produce sold at the garden center, their stand and local farmers markets. Besides running the Teapot Quilt Cottage 7 days a week. The shop is amazing with treasures in every corner. From cookbooks and jellies, fabric and yarn to rag quilts and wool mittens. Amazing

These photos are from last year, they now have replaced the tent with a white gazebo , but there are loads of pumpkins and fall items as well as a shop full of things to see. If you are passing through Montello droop in and see for yourself.

I added another fun hat to the Etsy shop yesterday......and yes I facebooked it and the model was thrilled! NOT

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

GINGERSNAPPY CRUST
1	box gingersnaps (about 16 oz.)
1	stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1/4	cup sugar
1/2	cup pecans, chopped fine
1/4 tsp	cayenne pepper (trust me)
FILLING
3 pkg	(8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature (may use low-fat, but do not use fat free)
1 1/4	cups pumpkin puree-- 15oz. can (not pumpkin pie filling)
5 lg	eggs
1	cup sugar
1/2	cup heavy cream
2 tsp	ground cinnamon
1 tsp	ground ginger
1/2 tsp	ground cloves
1/2 tsp	freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp	allspice
1/2 tsp	salt
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
1/2	cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2	cup sugar
1/2	stick (1/4 cup) butter
1/3	cup water
1/4	cup heavy cream (can use milk)
1/2 tsp	pure vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 tsp	salt (trust me)
	crumbled gingersnaps for garnish
	toasted pecan halves for garnish

Thinking of Cherry Pie

   Being home full time now has its up and downs.  As much as I love being able to work in my pajamas and sipping coffee while working here on the computer I do miss a few things from being downtown. Now I don't want to mislead anyone when I say downtown. I live just outside of Montello, Wisconsin so, downtown consists of a few main streets and a handful of shops, a few taverns, beauty shops and gas stations. We do have a pharmacy and a grocery store.



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One of my favorite shops in town I have mentioned before is the Teapot Quilt Cottage and after looking over the February class schedule noticed that on Saturday February 20th they are having Cherry Pie Day.  Seeing that I just had to ask what was going on.  In the past we have had chocolate tastings, a pumpkin pie bakeoff, christmas cookie and others all in the Cottage. People would enter their tasty dishes for a chance to win a gift cerftificate or small prize, bu the real winners were those who stopped in and tasted, then voted on their favorites. So much fun.  This time Jean is giving out Cherry Pie slices on this day. What a nice treat when you stop in and see alll the great things she has. From quilting supplies and yarn to produce in season and plants. You could make an afternoon of it, just in her shop. 
     Jean and I also started the Easter Bunny Parade in town, over the past few years it has grown into quite a fun tradition for the families in town and those visiting Grandmas on that weekend. Since we started the New Montello Group, about four years ago,  we have worked very hard to get visitors to stop in their journey through Montello and see what there is to offer.
   As of late it seems some things have changed and maybe not for the better.   Promoting a small town is an ongoing project, as each small town is working to attract visitors to keep it alive and growing.  Montello has so many great natural resources and such nice people it just needs to say " HEY, look at me" and get some good attention. Just about one hour north of Madison and about four hours from Chicago it is a great place to visit with the family or maybe a girls weekend.  All that said back to cherry pie
  Since reading about the cherry lices, I went to one of my favorite websitres to look for a recipe to try .
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/cherry-cake-pudding/
Over the past few weeks I have made about a dozen recipes from this site and all were raved about.
Cherry Cake Pudding

Ingredients
■Cake
■1 cup Sugar
■2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
■1 whole Egg
■1 cup All-purpose Flour
■1 teaspoon Baking Powder
■⅛ teaspoons Salt
■½ cups Whole Milk
■1 can (15 Ounces) Cherries In Syrup (NOT Cherry Pie Filling) Drained, Juice Reserved
■½ cups Pecans, Finely Chopped
■Sauce:
■1 cup Juice From Cherries (add Water To Make 1 Cup If Necessary)
■1 cup Sugar
■1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
■1 Tablespoon Butter
■½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
■Unsweetened Freshly Whipped Cream

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a square 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt then add to mixing bowl alternatively with milk. Add cherries and chopped nuts and mix gently. Pour batter into buttered pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface and no longer jiggly.
While cake is baking, make the sauce by combining cherry juice, sugar, and flour in a small saucepan. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thick. Turn off heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter and vanilla extract.
Drizzle 1/3 of the sauce on the cake as soon as you remove it from the oven. Spread to distribute over the surface and wait ten minutes before serving so the sauce will seep into the top of the cake a bit.

Spoon out pieces of warm, sticky cake and top with unsweetened whipped cream

I can't wait for hubby to get back from the store so I can get this in the oven.

by the way Walmart carries The Pioneer Woman new cookbook, a must have!  I ordered mine online from Walmart as our store was out of them.

All of this cooking has cut into my "hooking " time. I am trying to get a good amount of bunny and spring hats done. I have some of them destined for Josephines in Watertown and the others for Grammas Gifts the Etsy shop. I also just signed on for a show on April 8th in Fitchburg so I will need to get busy.

Fall is here

The temperature doesn't show it but on Saturday we have Harvest Fest in Montello and I am busy finding some muffin recipes for the pancake breakfast and bake sale. It should be a fairly busy day downtown and it is kind of sad to watch the shop get empty but.....nose to the grindstone and looking ahead to the diner. I will still make the sweaters and hats for Josphines in Watertown and the etsy shop. I will get much more done at home, I have already painted the living room and changed things around and the bathroom. The kitchen could use some tender loving care and it keeps my mind busy while all the paper work and waiting goes on. Not that my two little helpers don't keep me busy enough. The shop will officially close October 31st. So there will be big sales as I don't want to store anything and will be making new items for the fall and Christmas shows I plan on doing.

Apple Muffins


These apple muffins smell like apple pie when they're baking. If you can't find cinnamon chips in your local supermarket, simply leave them out. Or use chocolate chips or butterscotch chips instead.
The walnut streusel topping gives these apple muffins wonderful crunch.



Prep Time: 15 minu
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:

•1 cup all-purpose flour
•1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
•1 Tbsp. baking powder
•1/2 tsp. cinnamon
•1/4 tsp. salt
•2 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
•1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
•1 large egg
•1/2 cup sugar
•2/3 cup skim milk
•1 cup chopped apples
•1/2 cup cinnamon chips
•.
•For Topping
•1/2 cup finely-chopped walnuts
•2 Tbsp. brown sugar
•1/2 tsp. cinnamon
•2-3 tsp. skim milk
Preparation:

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large muffin tin.

2.Whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

3.In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, flaxseed meal, egg, sugar and skim

4.Fold dry ingredients into wet, stiring until incorporated, but do not overmix.

5.Stir in chopped apples and cinnamon chips.

6.Fill muffin cups two-thirds of the way.

7.Combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle over muffins.

8.Bake 18-22 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

9.Cool on a wire rack before serving.

 

http://www.indiegogo.com/Patti-Lekas

Harvest Fest Windows

The windows in my shop and at the diner are finally painted to announce the coming of Harvest Fest. We met this morning to decide on who works the pancake breakfast, bake sale items and Sandy will be taking my job of hanging the corn stalks throughout the downtown. If only I had the info on the concert beforehand I could have worked that all in. Another example of not working with each other for a common good. Silly, that grouwn ups can't get the idea of cooperation and that if we all work together it lightens the work load and the end result is better.....enough of my rambling about Montello.
I am busy getting more frog hats and sweaters done for the fest, they make great costume alternatives for the little ones. This year our little guys are going as dinosaurs...we watch alot of dinosaur train on PBS here. The two dalmation sweaters are alomost done and the skink hats are down to the finishing touches, I will be glad when I can tag them and put them in the shop. With our little guy under the weather I am amazed I have anything done....he wears me out.

Christmas in July

This souns like a fun idea, the whole town has specials in the shop and people serve Christmas cookies and have treats for the shoppers. Except if it is in the 80"s and you need to bake these cookies. Hot and humid and yes tommorrow starts Montellos Christmas in July.
I had put alot of thought into what I could do in the shop. Bring out the Christmas so those visiting only once this year had a chance to shop, make a few great sale items and the best.....Paint Santas
Painting Santa is a real project when the last thing you feel like is chilly and snow. The shops ari is on the fritz and santa is coming along slowly. Not, one Santa on an old ironing board but three. In the morning , refreshed and hopefully cooler I will add the finishing touches to them, break out the cookies and against my better judgement put on a Christmas cd. Personalized gingerbread families are ready and I dug out the pine scented candles for that Christmas feel. I will have to let you know if it works as well as we had planned.
I am finishing up a few more sweaters for the trip to Josephines Paper Box in Watertown, it will be nice to have another location to sell them out of. They have done fairly well on etsy so I hope they do in this shop as well.

This mornings events

I started out the day with a fest meeting, no major changes made, but good input. Then I met with my advisor from the UW who brought with him three student working on tourism in our area. We had a great talk and they will share their report and suggestions for our area when it is done. I have two Santas based and hopefully will get the details done as Christmas in July starts here on Saturday.

I am hoping to get some market bags sewn and a few small stoking stuffer type ideas all worked out and packaged. I will come back with photos if this all comes together,\\

I am here so long becuase my house has been over run with family and the only peace and quiet I get is at the shop early in the morning or in the evening. I paint to remain sane some days it seems. kids, grandkids, pets oh my.......

Fridays thoughts......

The weather is just beautiful here today. Sunny and not to warm. The campers can be seen pulling into town, in fact last night was very busy with folks checking in. The waterfall IS back on and hopefully all the problems are behind us.
I can in early to get the shop all spruced up before the visitors arrive. Signs needed to be hung and the baby room needed some rearranging. All done now and I can finish my sweater and check out some blogs on the Friday Follow.
I planned the weekend to count in out of town visitors and I hope with me away the grass is being mowed and the little chores done. With any luck I can come home bake and enjoy some time on the patio.
I ahve been writing out a few of my favorite patterns to sell on Etsy and now it is down to the photos and finishing touches. Last week I taught a class on the hooded baby sweater and it went very well. I hope people enjoy them as much as I do.

I contacted Emmy Fink from Madison's channel 57 BUZZED into Madison and she has agreed to come out and once again do a story about Father marquette days.  She is so nice and funny...my Grandson Mike just loves her.

Wordful Wednesdays

It's Wednesday again.....today I have spent hours trying to coordinate a bike ride for the area around Pattibears Place. In September , when all the leaves are changing we hold Harvest Fest. By that time I will have painted black cats and pumpkins, scarecrows and witches.This year to make the most of all our natural resources we are adding a bird watching tour and an Autumn Colors Bike Ride. This should be alot of un, with the proceeds going to The Care and Share Food Bank of Marquette County.
With several routes to choose from, people of all ages and biking abilities will be able to join in. From Packwaukee to Germania , and on to Lake Puckaway , the scenery is beautiful and in its prime colors.
               I am also working on getting vendors for Father Marquette days which is August 21 and 22nd. Food, parade, softball tournaments and much more. The Rotary Club is working hard to help rebuild Father Marquette days to what it once was. A wonderful idea, and weather you are a Rotary member or not, everyone should roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help. I contacted EMMY FINK, from channel 57 here in Madison. She is the TV personality for Buzzed into Madison. She will once again come out and do a story to help promote Father Marquette days.
Today two young guys from San Francisco were in town talking to everyone. Commenting on what a great old town and how this could be a really great place for cute art shops and unique businesses. They are right, we need to get back to basics and pull together to help get Montello back on the map. What can we offer a new business at this time, not very much. We need more input from each other and networking to share and spread the word that Montello is still here and has lots to offer.I have contacted the UW extention office about some regional marketing classes they hold and hopefully a few of us can attend and learn some new ways to get Montello out there.
All this can be done.....I have been told by people who have lived here forever, that in years past because this is a farming community if some disaster happened on your farm......before you could think to ask for help, neighbors were there with food, tools and a helping hand. That is what we need today. Togetherness, promote the area, not just individual businesses.
In the mean time I keep filling my shop and making some sweaters for my Aunts shop in Watertown, Wi.  Josephine's Paper Box. If you are ever in the area you need to stop in, what a great variety of items for any occasion. I am also hoping to get all the loose ends for the diner tied up so I can finally get the work done and be open. A friendly place for locals and visitors to get a meal anytime of day. Fresh baked rolls and my favorite CUPCAKES!  So, I will keep on it , not just so I can have a great new business and make some money, but it will be an anchor for the downtown area. A much needed addition. So I have many irons in the fire and I wear many hats some days, but I love it ....most days.

Playing Nice Together

Montello, where my shop is located is a friendly, quiet town. Everyone knows everyone and people help out each other whenever they can.  

WELL, almost.

Our little city is probably best known for its biggest tree, ( the plaque was removed after a large limb fell off ) the CourtHouse, it is on the historical list and the Granite waterfalls.

That was until a few weeks ago when the water was turned OFF. Yes, turned off, they are man made from the old granite quarry. Tonight there is a city council special meeting to see if that water will come back on or if the falls as we all know them are a thing of the past. I will have to catch you up on all the details after the meeting. I would'nt want to give out any bad info.
Other than that....

Our group, meets every Wednesday to try and get Montello back in the tourist mode and get the tourists back visiting on a regular basis. We have so many things for families to do. From fishing and boating, to swimming and bike riding, bird watching, maybe some quiet time alone. An Amish community, great shops, good food and all without the remote or batteries. We are close enough to the Dells that you could camp here ( much cheaper) and visit the Dells for the day and save so much money and enjoy the vacation!
All summer , in fact all year we have great events planned to help show us off. We have fishing, hunting, snow mobiling, ice fishing, bird watching and this has been declaired the Year of John Muir in Wisconsin. His exhibit is at our Historical Society right downtown.
July 3rd  Taste Of Montello at the City Park followed by Fireworks

July 24th Christmas in July in the downtown shops

August 21 & 22 Father Marquette Days ...food, crafters, parade, womens Club pie sale and so much more

August 28th
 September 25th Harvest Fest, bike ride for the Food bvank, Bird watching tours,  fall craft show and more

October 23   Oktoberfest

October 30th Withes night out

November 26,27,28  Holiday Happening Downtown Montello

So there is much in the planning, but although I do not belong to the Rotary Club or Lions Club , I do not mind pitching in to help find vendors for the events or help fill the parade and get them advertisied. Our end result is the same MONTELLO back on the map. Now, if I can just get that concept across to everyone else. We will have smooth sailing !  COOPERATION has been in short supply and that needs to come to a halt right now. It is far better to market a whole area than one shop or business at a time. My work is cut out for me , but I am emailing crafters , posting on calendars and inviting everyone to come and see Montello!

Rock Painting at Pattibears Place

Friday was the first class in rock painting I have given so far this season. Three young men seven, ten and thirteen came. Normally my first class is a bunny so the student learns to make fur strokes and gets the basics of rock painting.  This was not the case, not only did these three not want to paint a bunny, they each wanted to paint a different animal.....and none had fur!

The littlest decided on a turtle ... and angry turtle. He did fairly well for a first time and added some great color to the turtle shell and in the end he did look angry turtle.

Student number two had a rock, not shaped like any animal, so we took another route and painted the animal on the rock.  Not the rock into an animal , like we normally do. He made a lizard, colorful with it drawn completely by him.

Number three had heard his mother say the day before in my shop that she wanted an owl and he found a rock that would work. Just let me say feathers are harder than fur to paint, and this student had never painted before either. But, he listened and tried his best and in the end MOM got an owl

This is how it usually goes!

Find a smooth rock, for a bunny a baked potato shape works great. As you get more experience you can work around odd shaped rocks. Basecoat your rock with black acrylic paint. This gives you a base to work from and helps get shadow and depth to your painting. Use a wide brush, ( good brushes are not necessary for this part )       Use chalk to outlind where the face is, the ears and where the back legs are. This is just a guide and will be covered up later. It helps to look at a picture, I recommend the kids books on HOW TO DRAW ANIMALS a great source to show features and proportions.

Next thin some white paint to use for your fur strokes. The most important thing to remember is to stroke in the same direction the fur grows!  Outline the ears, nose and eyes. you will fill these in later. Remember there is never too big of a mistake you can't correct....Just paint it black and start again! The back legs are painted like wheel spokes coming down , the face fur grows up from the nose and to the sides from the eyes. The cheeks are little white puffs with a triangle of white between for the chin.

As you practice your fur lines will become finer and you can get even more detail. Let your white fur lines dry completely.

The back of the bunny, no tail yet, that is a final detail

add brown for the eyes and flesh for the nose and ears

Delute brown paint to a tint and cover the white fur lines. Leave the cheeks and chin white

Add some white eyelashes around the eyes, paint in the pupils and add awhite reflection dot. Brush in a few black eyelashes and last but not least  Do not forget the tail....and you are done

It smells like summer

Even though it has rained for what seems like the last week, you can smell summer and family fun.  Campers have started to fill the two campgrounds near our house and the smell of bacon on the old coleman cookstove in the morning brings back fond memories of my DAD out there making us five kids breakfast early in the morning after he returned from those 5 am fishing trips.My Dad taught us all a very important lesson. You see he died when he was just 38. We took a family vacation every year, even if we really could'nt afford to. He gave us all memories that we can carry over to our own kids and grandkids. I took my first grandson Joey fishing and taught him to bait a hook. Now he is showing JJ how. Thanks Dad. I guess with Fathers Day fast approaching I think more of him, but every day I find one of those things that seemed to come so easy to him in my everyday life. He loved us , and all of us not one more than the other . Maybe just differently, but not more. I was adopted and he never once made me feel like I wasn't his. Thanks Dad. He set a good example for my brothers to follow, and they did. It is not how much you spend on your kids, it is how much time . Yesterday I colored with JJ, my great grandson and showed him a trick my Dad taught us when we would all color on the kitchen table on a rainy Saturday. Take a peice of paper towel and rub the area you colored and it looks soft .  Dad , thanks again.  I remember him coming to pick me up from a friends on Friday night in his work pants and tshirt with his boots not laced. "Please don't get out I thought" and he would send me in to pick up the pizza from Genoe's. My love for Wisconsin, came from him. We used to drive up to the Dells and then up to Phillips for summer vacations. Candy ( licorice) hidden in his glove compartment, rainbow cones on the way to pick  Mom up from work on Saturday afternoon. Being the one who got to sit in the third seat in the station wagon. Saturday morning trips to his Grandmas, she would call him and two Uncles in like they were still boys.   Being able to be the one who went with at 5am to fish, I never caught anything, but I would'nt trade that time we spent just talking for anything. I can remember just going with for the ride, didn't matter where he was going. How many times did I go with to pick up car parts or maybe to Walgreens for party supplies. It didnt matter as long as we were with him. He was what Dads are supposed to be and I just hope he knew just how I felt even through my teenage years when things were bumpy. Dad you were the greatest and I LOVE you !

Wow, how the memories flood back when evening sets in and you can smell the campfires and smores!

 Families enjoying time together and back to basics. It is great. I just hop, my kids and grandkids will have as much to think back on years from now.  If so, I did it right!

 In the shop I am busy painting signs for those very campers to hang at their sites or attach to those movable homes on wheels.  I love that each piece sort of tells me what it will turn out to be and no two bears or raccoons are ever alike. In fact I just sold one that looked a little grumpy, it must have been painted on one of those days  LOL. I was asked where did I learn to paint the other day and Dad popped up again. When we first started camping we had a tent and went to Savannah, Illinois to an Army Corp of Engineers campground and there , I met Jack and Jean, a couple who ran the small store. Jack would sit behind the cabin and paint on mirrors. I could have sat there all day, every day. To me it was like magic watching the scenes unfold. That is how I feel when a piece of old wood becomes a bear or sign for someone.  Again Thanks DAD.

Dairy Daze ......cupcakes, cows and kids oh my

Today is the beginning of Dairy Daze in Montell. But, for me it started early yesterday as I began the baking for the Cupcake sale.

These are the rootbeer floats cupcake, first recipe wasnt what I wanted so these came out great!  18 of these jumbo cupcakes. oh, did my kitchen smell delicious!  here is the link for the recipe http://www.gourmetmomonthego.com/2010/05/mini-root-beer-float-cupcakes.html

These are banana split cipcakes. The centers are filled with banan, pineapple and strawberry.  Here is the link for the recipe http://www.beantownbaker.com/2009/09/banana-split-cupcake.html

the cupcakes on the left are Funge Mint Sundaes topped with Andes mint pieces.

The cups have malted Milk caupcakes topped with a malted milk ball. Here is the recipe link http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/2010/01/malted-milk-cupcakes-plus-recipe.html

 Those are fudge mint cupcakes in the middle.

I also make strawberry sundae cupcakes. the centers are filled with stawberry and topped with whipped frosting and a cherry.

7:30 this morning I came to the shop to put out my decorated COW, open the doors and get ready for the other members of our group to drop off cupcakes.  Shirley from Rustic came and dropped off some cheesecake brownies. Then before 9 Jean from the Gardne Center came with some brownies and muffins. My shop smells wonderful.

The weather is funny today, cool but very humid so campers are out and about checking out the shops. No kids participated in the sidewalk art contest HUH, maybe the cloudy skies kept them away.

It has been a long day and the smell of these cupcakes has been driving me crazy, but it was good practice for when we open the diner. I can see it now CUPCAKE of the DAY!  How much fun is that.

BIG SUMMER Sale

Summer is here and time for our Big Summer Sale. The 6 car wooden train set is our first big sale item. This beautifully handcrafted set is made to be played with. Each car can be arranged in any order. Engine,12 inches, coal car, 9 inches, log hauler with logs,11 inches, open car with barrels,11 inches, a dumper car that really dumps , 11 inches, and a caboose, 10 inches. A must for the train lover in your family this season! Perfect toy to bring out imagination, no batteries required, runs on imagination!

Each set is on sale for $25.00 shipping is $22.50    total $47.50
http://www.pattibear.etsy.com/  to order
 

Personalized Gingerbread Family is a cute way to decorate for the holidays. A great gift idea for Grandma, the sitter or Yourself!  Add the family name and names of each member . The Big gingerbreadman measures about 16 inches high and is handpainted and ready to hang. Please specify how many small cookies up to 6.  More upon request. Special requests or wording available.  $15.00 and 9.80 shipping total $24.80 to order http://www.pattibear.etsy.com/

Think ahead to your holiday shopping and order early!!!

Time to Ponder......so many

recipes and so little time.  Beofre the rain came today the shop was fairly busy. It is very nice to see visitors walking the sidealks and checking out the shops. Past visitors coming back to visit is also a very good sign that things are picking up in the area. Sales were good, not amazing but good. The painted door from the other day SOLD !!!!  Now I can paint more, I hate to paint more big pieces if those I have are not selling, silly maybe but that is my thought process these days,
  With next Saturday our dairy Daze, a big deal in Wisconsin and the theme for our bake sale being ice cream I have been hunting high and low on blogs to find just the right cupcakes, having not heard back from the other bakers in our group . I am going off on my own and baking what I want.
Root Beer Float Cupcakes'
Servings: 12
Prep time: 20
Cook time: 20
Total time: 40
Ingredients:

1 cup rootbeer soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup rootbeer soda, reduced to 3 teaspoons
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp root beer extract
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt

Vanilla Bean Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup shortening
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vanilla bean pods or paste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Cupcakes:
Combine rootbeer soda and apple cider vinegar, and reduced rootbeer soda,allow to sit for a few minutes. Add sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, and root beer extract.

Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients being careful not to over mix.

Pour batter into cupcake molds, 2/3 the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

Frosting:
Combine all ingredients and beat with a mixer until fluffy.
Top cupcakes with the vanilla bean frosting, and enjoy!

Arent these just adorable? I am going to make Big cupcake and mini cupcakes!

CREAMSICLE (ORANGE-VANILLA) CUPCAKES

Ingredients:
•½ cup unsalted butter, softened

•2/3 cup sugar

•3 large eggs

•1 tsp. vanilla extract

•1 tsp. orange extract

•1 ½ cups all purpose flour

•1 ½ tsp. baking powder

•¼ tsp. salt

•¼ cup milk

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

2.For the Cupcakes: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and orange extract.
3.In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4.With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5.Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost.
The batter was thick,
Frost them with vanilla buttercream if you want to go for the Creamsicle effect,

Well, I am off to find just the right icing for a hot fudge sundae cupcake and then home to try out a batch or two. There is time enough to get back on the diet, and kids are home to taste test. Tomorrow I will be at the Garden center cutting out the end of our cows for dairy daze and then getting mine painted and decorated, I will get photos up as soon as it is done. This is just one of many events we do to get people back into town and visiting us, After the floods 2 yearsa go and the loss of some of our tourists we try anything to get people back in town,  NOW if ice cream themed cupcakes don't do it maybe nothing will LOL