Versatile Blogger Award

Today I'm sharing The Versatile Blogger award with some pretty amazing bloggers out there in blogger land.  I was passed this award by Dawn of DJ's Sugar Shack.  Yes, DJ's blog is passing along the sugar as much as she can one thoughtful recipe at a time.  DJ's even has a few weekly parties that I'll be participating in very soon: Whatcha' Whipped Up Wednesday and Foodie Friends Friday.  Thank you so much, Dawn, for passing this award on to me at BIWB! 

Dawn lives in Alaska which is absolutely surreal to me as I've never been there nor honestly believe I'll ever make it up there.  I see the pictures and I think it's absolutely beautiful...Just not sure about those winter months.  She has shared some cool pictures of bears on her porch which I think my cat would go ape over.  I just can't imagine...

DJ's Sugar Shack has more recipes than I can list here, but here are a few that are now on my "favorites" list:

Aztec Mocha Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Double Chocolate Butterscotch Cookies

Grasshopper Pie {Frozen} Cupcakes

So, on to the The Versatile Blogger Award!  First things first.  Here is the list of 15 blogs that I follow to which I am passing on this award.  So, if you're on this list, congratulations!  {Please don't forget to read what to do next...}

My Mother's Apron Strings  
52 Kitchen Adventures
A Girl and Her Fork

Sweet Heat Chefs 

The Domestic Rebel

Kitchen Meets Girl 

Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate 

Crazy for Crust 

Inside BruCrew Life

Lemon Drop

Recipes for My Boys

Cookie Crazed Mama

Sweet Tooth

My Prairie Window

Something Swanky

When you receive the award this is what you do:

1. Thank the person that gave you the award in a blog post & link back to their blog

2. Pass the award on to 15 bloggers you follow

3. Include 7 random things about yourself in your post

4. Notify your nominees by leaving a comment on their blog

Okay, so here are 7 random things about me:

1. In college I drove London double deck buses

2. I'm the youngest of 4 kids

3. I lived in 5 states before I turned 12

4. I read presidential biographies, for which I take a lot of flack

5. I've never been to Hawaii

6. I love just about anything that is described as "Honey Nut"

7. I have fallen off my bike only twice in my life (ages 6 and 44), hitting my head both times.

I now ~begrudgingly~ wear a helmet.

So, congratulations to all The Versatile Blogger today!! 

You keep me on my toes and inspired,

even on those really tough blogging days...

Cheers y'all!!   Ellen

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Blueberry Infused Gin

This gin is very smooth with a nice sweetness of blueberry.  The combination of blueberry and juniper from the gin just might make a gin "drinker" out of me yet!  

I made this for a few BIWB recipes, including this loaf cake recipe that was in the Sacramento Bee last month.  I learned about infusing booze from a very cool website Post Prohibition.  The recipe for Blueberry Infused Gin is from KitchenKonfidence.   Post Prohibition not only tells you how to infuse all kinds of booze, the website even has amazing cocktail recipes for all that wonderful infused booze. 

As we all know by now, I am not a gin drinker.  Well, to be honest, I'm not a drinker of any alcohol, straight that is.  If it can be mixed and doesn't taste like booze, I'm in!  The only exception though, and for some strange reason unbeknownst to yours truly...seems to be a Manhattan.

I don't even like maraschino cherries!

We all know by now that I'm a cocktail kinda gal or why else would I be baking with booze?  Booze combined with sugary or savory baked goods?  Well, now you've peel back just a bit more of the BIWB girl onion. 

So, on to the blueberry gin infusion!

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Red Hot Velvet Ice Cream Cupcakes {with Goldschlager}

Today, I'm entering the 2012 Ice Cream Cupcake Contest sponsored by two amazing blogs: Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious.   There is some very stiff competition this year, but I'm excited to try my hand at this type of cupcake...Always keeping in typical BIWB fashion, of course.  So, you know there's gonna be some booze in these my friends...

And, let us not forget to mention that my excitement is almost uncontrollable because I get to bake red velvet cupcakes with red hots and Goldschlager!!!!  I mean, really, how bad can that be for this girl?

These cupcakes are based on the traditional Southern cake: Red Velvet.  It's an interesting recipe, which is described as a vanilla cake with a hint of cocoa and a bright red color.  There's a bit of a KICK to these racey red lovelies with the addition of Goldshlager, a cinnamon schnapps. 

I've made this cake a few times and have tried a few different approaches.  I find that using all oil for the cupcake version really does give the cupcake more body and great texture.  For a cake, though, I think I will always stick with the 1/2 butter and 1/2 oil approach.  Just seems to hold up to frosting and give a great crumb.

I didn't use all the red food coloring that some recipes call for as I find too much gives a funky food colory flavor, while too little just makes the cupcake look kinda flat. 

And, who wants a flat cupcake? 

These are super easy to make and assemble.  Really.  Trust me.  I wouldn't have even attempted this otherwise.  

For the cinnamon L-U-V-E-R in all of us!  Gorge, yes?  And, the taste is BEEEYOND delish!!  Just sayin'.  :)

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