Today is The Kitchen is My Playground's 1st blogiversary. Wow, what a twelvemonth it's been! I view it would endure fitting, on this day, to portion alongside y'all the even out of how came to be.
It all started alongside a snowstorm.
As convey several large changes inward my life. For example, that's how I ended upwardly moving to North Carolina. See ... I had every intention of moving dorsum to Vermont later on finishing graduate schoolhouse inward upstate New York. Then it snowed. In piece of cake March. Enough to completely bury my auto hence it wasn't fifty-fifty a slight bump inward the vast body of body of water of white. In very. Late. March. Now I alive inward North Carolina.
I gauge snowstorms brand me think. Or give me fourth dimension to think, perhaps. That's in all probability to a greater extent than the case. Plans in addition to normal routines teach lay on hold. And there's time. Time to produce what y'all weren't planning to do. During ane such snowstorm piece of cake final January, this was the instance for me.
Trapped inward my solid past times a freakishly large tempest for North Carolina (that led to schoolhouse beingness cancelled for a week, heed you), I watched the moving painting "Julie & Julia" - y'all know, the ane close a adult woman named Julie who decides to laid her agency through Julia Child's cookbook in addition to start a weblog close it? Well, I had only published a household unit of measurement cookbook in addition to given it equally a Christmas introduce to all the ladies inward my family. Inspired past times Julie, I decided I should laid my agency through my ain family's cookbook (though non equally ambitiously equally Julie, who alone gave herself a year!).
To teach myself started, I made a listing of recipes to teach to during 2011 (my "50 for 2011" list) in addition to shared it out alongside my Facebook friends. They then, inward turn, requested updates in addition to that the recipes endure shared equally I worked through them. I tried sharing the outset couplet of recipes (that really same calendar week - yes, quick turn-around, but retrieve schoolhouse was canceled for a calendar week in addition to I was natural springtime to my house), and, good ... decided peradventure a weblog would endure a ameliorate way. I mentioned the view to a few friends, in addition to they whole-heartedly encouraged me to start a blog. I wasn't withal convinced.
On the eventide of Feb 5th, 2011, spell watching TV alongside my husband, I decided to only poke or hence Blogger for a flake in addition to explore these things called blogs. I clicked a few blueprint buttons ... thought, hmmmm, I mightiness endure able to figure this out ... thought, I wonder what this push clit does? Thought, what would I telephone scream upwardly my blog?
Around 10:00, my hubby Mark said goodnight. I replied, "I'm going to play or hence alongside this weblog materials only a footling flake more. I'll endure upwardly soon." At close 3:00 inward the morn of Feb 6th, was born. The initiative post? ... "50 Recipes for 2011" Project - I ameliorate teach cooking!
Now, though I haven't done really good working through my "50 Recipes for 2011" projection list, I've had tons of fun taking on many other cooking adventures throughout 's outset year. I've had tons of fun ... and, sometimes, a flake of frustration (especially alongside the photography part!!) ... trying to figure out this risk called blogging. I've had tons of fun 'meeting' readers in addition to other bloggers. Thank y'all hence really much for reading my footling infinite inward blogland. And give thank y'all you for all your wonderful comments. I genuinely read in addition to appreciate each in addition to every one, in addition to treasure them similar gifts. I'm excited to consider what adventures 's 2d twelvemonth holds!
Now, let's celebrate 's outset blogiversary alongside cupcakes! Barefoot Contessa's Coconut Cupcakes, to endure exact.
So, if you've got a special occasion coming upwardly or only experience similar indulging inward some kokosnoot deliciousness, I highly recommend giving these beauties a whirl. Thank y'all for joining me on my blogiversary!
Coconut Cupcakes alongside Cream Cheese Frosting
Source: Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook past times Ina Garten
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
3/4 lb. (3 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2 c. sugar
v eggs (at room temperature)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
three c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
fourteen oz. bundle sweetened shredded coconut, divided
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 lb. cream cheese (at room temperature)
3/4 lb. (3 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 lbs. confectioner's sugar
Directions
Prepare the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 muffin pans alongside newspaper liners.
2. With an electrical mixer, cream the butter in addition to saccharide until lite in addition to fluffy, close v minutes. With the mixer on depression speed, add together the eggs ane at a time, scraping downward the bowl later on each addition. Add the vanilla in addition to almond extracts in addition to vii oz. of the coconut; mix well.
3. Fill each cupcake newspaper close 3/4 total alongside batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the tops are lite dark-brown in addition to a toothpick inserted inward the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool inward the pan for xv minutes. Remove to a cooling rack in addition to cool completely.
Prepare the Frosting:
4. With an electrical mixer, blend together the cream cheese, butter, in addition to vanilla in addition to almond extracts. Add the confectioner's saccharide in addition to mix until smooth.
5. Frost each cupcake generously alongside cream cheese frosting in addition to sprinkle alongside the remaining vii ounces of coconut.
Enjoy!
