Todd Cupcakes = Bacon + Chocolate

...or nirvana
...or a little taste of heaven
at least that's what Todd the Science Guy said.
And actually, that's the only opinion that mattered.

Sometimes cupcakes should be
vanilla
or chocolate chip
or just sinfully sweet,
full of love,
and remind you of every other birthday that you've had. 
Those cupcakes are fantastic,
but sometimes those cupcakes aren't quite fitting.

Some people just inspire me to try something different.
That's Todd.
How do you describe a Todd.
He's...well...just Todd!
Really, I just don't know how to describe him,
       except that he's like an awesome neighbor.
-The kind that would come over in the pouring-down rain to help dig a trench if your basement was flooding.
-Chop down that tree that fell down in the storm and take home the          firewood.
-Or come over if there's a weird animal in your shed,
                                           and you were too terrified to look at it, or even open up the door.
                                                            Todd would take care of that creepy critter.

Everyone needs a Todd in their world.

That's why when it's a Todd birthday, normal everyday cupcakes,
though delicious, they would not suffice. 

That's why I made him Bacon-Chocolate Cupcakes.
Heck, he loves bacon and chocolate, so why not?!

Bacon-Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Batter recipe from Better Homes and Garden Cupcakes
Marshmallow Frosting recipe from The Happy Housewife
Ingredients:

Bacon-Chocolate Cupcakes:
3/4 cup butter

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2-1 pound cooked bacon- crispy!

 

Frosting:

- 7 ounces marshmallow cream

- 1/2 cup butter softened

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

- 2-3 tablespoons milk

 

Topping:

- Magic Shell (yes...magic shell!)

 

Directions:

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Chop and cook bacon, then chop the cooked pieces into small chunks.  Save a few longer strips to place on the top.

 

3. Place butter and eggs on the counter and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line two muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

 

4. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside for later.

 

5. In a large mixer, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

 

6. Add some of the crumbled bacon into batter and mix gently.

 

7. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup two-thirds full. Add bacon crumbles to the tops of the cupcakes before baking...a little more is always better!

 

8. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

 

 

 

 

Frosting:

1. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Add extra milk if necessary to get the correct consistency.
2. Frost cooled cupcakes.
3. Add magic shell and a strip of bacon to the top of each cupcake.
4. Chill cupcakes in the refrigerator until topping forms.

Share and enjoy with your friends....especially if you have a Todd.
Todd's love bacon...they love chocolate...
...and they deserve some tasty, unique treats.



If you don't already have a Todd, you should find one. 
Everyone needs a Todd. 
Happy Birthday to all of the Todd's out there!

The Tale of Three Salads

Isn't this view inspiring? So many delicious possibilities and I have a challenge. 

My parents are having some dear friends over for a Bar-B-Que and my mom would like me to make three salads.  Something fresh and light...and this is my market. :0)

~Hello darlings~

When I make salads, I'm really picky about the dressing.  I like simple flavors and things that are not heavy.  People who know me, know that I hate...I mean...HATE...mayonnaise.  Blah!  So none of these salads have that nasty ingredient.  Sorry for the lack of mayonnaise if you love it...it's gross.

Salad #1~ Quinoa Crunch Salad

(This is my absolute favorite! Yumma!)

Modified from

Eating for England, Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Avocado and Cumin-Lime Dressing

http://www.eating-for-england.com/quinoa-salad-beans-avocado/

Ingredients~
Dressing:

the zest of one lime

2 limes, freshly squeezed juice

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

http://www.bobsredmill.com/organic-quinoa-grain.html?&cat=6

Salad:

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 3/4 cup water

2 ears of corn, roasted and kernels cut off

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 avocado, chopped into chunks

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

small handful cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place ears of corn, still in the husk directly onto the rack in the oven.  Roast for 30 minutes. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s hot add the rinsed quinoa and toast for about 2-3 minutes until it starts smelling nutty. Add water, stir once, cover, and simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes.  It will smell delicious!
3. While the corn and quinoa is cooking, chop and prepare all other ingredients.
4. For the dressing by combining the lime juice, oil, cumin, and salt into a mason jar.  Screw on the lid and give it a really good shake. I love using mason jars! Plus, I have a lot around the house. :0)
5. When the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from heat and fluff with a fork. Add black beans and garbanzo beans to the warm quinoa to warm them up.
6. Remove ears from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Peel back the husk and cut the kernels off of the cob.
7. Once the quinoa/bean mixture is cool, then add all the remaining ingredients, including the dressing, and mix. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Salad #2~ Mediterranean Cucumber Salad

This is not an original~I don't know where I got this one, but I modified it from another recipe.  This is just so easy and delicious!  I love it because I just have to remember equal parts of everything. :0)

Ingredients~
Dressing:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• pinch of salt

Salad:

• 4 medium cucumbers, seeded and chopped into chunks
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped into chunks or 1 pint of cherry tomatoes halved
• 4 ounces of feta, I use the Mediterranean seasoned feta- go figure :0)

Directions:
1. Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shaky-shake.
2. Chop all of the salad ingredients into a bowl.
3. Mix it all together!  Add the dressing slowly, and add as little or as much as you like. I'm a dressing minimalist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Salad #3~ Lemon Broccoli Salad

Modified from Alton Brown

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/fresh-broccoli-salad-recipe/index.html

Ingredients~

Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Salad:

• 3 heads of broccoli, rinsed and broken into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 ounces coarsely chopped, toasted pecans or hazelnuts
• Handful of fresh basil leaves- chopped
• 6 slices of bacon (I had to add bacon, of course!)

Directions
1. Add all of the dressing ingredients into a mason jar and shake vigorously.  Adjust seasoning as necessary.  I added a bit more white wine vinegar to balance out the salt.

2. Prepare all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl.  One hour before serving, pour the dressing over the salad...then enjoy!

*********************************************************************************

I love mason jars!!

Now, I don't normally like dressing.  I'm the person that dips their fork gently into the dressing and places a small amount on the salad.  But once all of the ingredients had been combined for the broccoli salad, I felt that it needed MORE dressing.  Shocking, but true.  When I make this again, I will double the dressing.  I might even triple it so that I don't have to watch my dad pour ranch dressing over the top! This was NOT the desired effect on someone enjoying a fresh and light salad. Not surprising if you know my dad and his LOVE of drenching salad in dressing, but disappointing for the salad maker. :0P