Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

I'm back! I know I just pulled a disappearing act, I am so so sorry! Let me quickly catch you up!  

Nantucket was very different this year.  I felt the stress and tension in the air the second I got to our house. It was a very different atmosphere with a new guest in the house. While we were all staying there together... (which as far as I am concerned, will not happen next year. That house can not hold 5 people at one time)  I was especially on edge. I also lost my bed and was stuck downstairs in the living room, on the sofa bed. My things were stored in a mini sized closet, under the stairs. I am a late sleeper, so since everyone started waking up around 7 am, I was woken up and moved into my parents bed. Needless to say, I was not happy about that. I just felt displaced and in the way. Also, the entire time they were there, I felt nearly invisible. 

Mom and me at Quidnet Beach

Glazed Doughnuts Muffins

Good morning everyone! I have arrived in Nantucket and it as beautiful as I remember. Tensions are running high in my family but what else is new, especially since all five of us are stuck in the house, it is raining right now. Everything will, hopefully calm down soon.

Before I left , I made some delicious muffins that taste a lot like doughnuts... but they taste more like home than anything else. It must be the combination of the sweetness of the glaze, the butter, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. These muffins didn't really taste too much like doughnuts but they reminded me of home, of comfort and my childhood.  Nutmeg and cinnamon are too constants in my life, not only are they my favorite spices, along with vanilla, but they are in most of my recipes. 

Muffins are great and so are doughnuts but these doughnut muffins are awesome!! While you lose the crispy, fried bits from the doughnuts, you gain much more of a cake-y consistency. These muffins were dunked into the glaze twice, but you could totally dunk each muffin top 3 times for a thick and rich glaze that can rival a frosting. If you wish to top with sprinkles or blueberries, do so, immediately after the muffin has been coated 2 or 3 times with glaze.  These doughnut muffins are perfect for breakfast on the go and will make great school snacks.  Enjoy!

Today I'am Guest Blogging at Musings SAHM

Good Afternoon everyone! I hope your Friday is totally awesome and full of fun.  Today I am away from Calamity Kate's Kitchen because, I am sharing the recipe for Homemade Herb Focaccia at Musings From A Stay At Home Mom! 

The Girl Behind The Camera

This week we are going wildly off subject. I am going to share some of my deep, dark secrets and what changed my perception of myself! I am sure you have noticed by now, that there aren't many pictures of me on my blog! For years, during my whole life I have hid from the camera. I have never really liked how I look in pictures. I look too pale, my eyes are too small for my face, fat, out of proportion to others, my head is too big when my hair is up, my hair is messy when its down, I don't have make-up on, etc... The reasons and excuses have been used up... and I am sick of hiding!

Lately I have found myself hiding behind the camera...you know if you are taking the pictures, you can't be in them too! It has worked really well for me, but for years now, there is nearly no record of me in family photos. But, sometime last year I decided to stop hiding and start sharing!

French Potato Salad

Welcome to the middle of the summer. My school doesn't start until the 3rd week of August and my annual vacation to Nantucket is coming up soon! One of my favorite things about summer is all of the BBQs and special summer food. Potato salad is a summer food must and this is one of my 3 favorite recipes and this recipe is one that can easily be made and enjoyed all year long. I have made/eaten this potato salad several times in the last few years, but I have only ever had it with the mayonnaise mixed into it. 

Red White and Blueberry Topped Vanilla Cupcakes

Good Morning! 

     As you all probably know, the 4th of July is a pretty bad day for me. I try not to dwell on all that happened on July 4th 1995, but 18 years later,  it is still the worst day of the year. I don't like fireworks, waving flags that seem to pop up all over town, or anything to do with July 4th. It was just bad luck on my part, that the doctors discovered my pituitary tumor on a national holiday...oops.  So as you know, I don't post July 4th recipes, but this year I decided to break one of my rules, so here you have a lovely red, white and blueberry July 3rd recipe. Happy July 3rd to you all!!

The Down Under Lemon Tart

Good Morning! I am sharing a beautiful lemon tart with you today but I wanted to take a moment to tell you all what will be happening for the next 4 weeks. For the next 4 weeks,

starting tomorrow, I have a big sale event at work. Last year was the first year we ever did this event, but it worked so well and we sold so much furniture that we are doing this event again. If you are in the area, feel free to stop by La-Z-Boy in Lafayette Indiana. While it is great, I will be very busy for the next 3-4 weeks and I won't be able to spend as much time on Calamity Kate's Facebook page or Twitter account. I have prewritten 3 blog posts, including this one, so you can all won't have to wait on some awesome recipes and stories. I will still get to see any and all of your fabulous comments as they go through my email.  I will see you next week with Fourth of July Cupcakes...until then, enjoy The Down Under Lemon Tart! 

Aunt Nancy and Bing 

While I was in Milwaukee we made this delicious tart with my Aunt Nancy, I am sure you have all heard me talk about her, she is the best. I love spending time with Aunt Nancy and Aunt Fran while in Milwaukee. We cook and bake and we eat and we talk and we laugh and we eat some more.  Aunt Nancy is a very accomplished cook and baker, but she makes pies and tarts like no one can! Aunt Nancy found this tart recipe online. We made it on the 3rd or 4th day I was in Milwaukee.  The tart dough is very solid and slightly sweet. This recipe made 2 tart shells but only one tart of filling. We froze the second tart shell and later that week we used it for a french apple tart. This tart dough is now my go to recipe for tarts!

Better Than Storebought Hummus

I love hummus and is a good thing because, my vegan/pescatarian family eats a ton of hummus. Hummus with veggies, hummus with bread, hummus with chips, and hummus instead of sauce on pizza. If you have ever watched, Don't Mess with the Zohan? We eat hummus like that...except we don't use it in our hair, or to put out fires or as toothpaste... but you get my drift.  We like hummus and what a hummus this is!

My Marshmallow and MasterChef Addiction Cookie Cake

It finally feels like summer in Indiana and summer is the time for s'mores!

Ooey and Gooey S'more Cake

Marshmallows are one of my favorite foods. They are so delicious! I love my s'mores toasted and browned but with a little burnt! I bought a bag of marshmallows recently and I decided that is was time to make something with the marshmallows and not just eating them out of the bag. When I saw the recipe at My Baking Addiction I knew you all would love it and my marshmallow addiction would be out in the open... I have a problem and now that I told you about it, I need to go eat more marshmallows!

Bruschetta with Herbed Goat Cheese and Sweet Balsamic Syrup

So, what do you think of the new Calamity Kate's Kitchen? I am still in the process of organizing all of the recipes. Through this organization, I have found some wholes in my recipe collection. The main dish, sides, appetizers and breakfast categories are low on recipes compared to the desserts and cupcakes. So while I will still share cupcakes and desserts, I am going to try to add more main dish, appetizer, sides and breakfast recipes. So... on to my favorite appetizer that Dad and I ate for lunch on Wednesday and Aunt Nancy, Uncle Stewart and I ate for dinner the last night of my vacation!

Italian bruschetta (pronounced “brusketta”) is the perfect summer food. It brings together the best of summer tomatoes and fresh and fragrant basil. I love eating bruschetta all year long, but it isn't nearly as delicious as the fresh summer bruschetta.  I have already made bruschetta 3 times since the second week in May!  

Welcome to the New and Improved Calamity Kate's Kitchen

Hello friends, 
It has been a few weeks since my last blog post but I am back with new recipes, an updated blog (I am still working on organizing all of the recipes) a new blog with a fresh, clean, modern blog design, a new logo and more.  Yay!

So, if you haven't noticed, Calamity Kate's Kitchen just had a redesign. I have been working with Christin Thomas. She has worked so hard to get the new design up and running, even though I had her add in additional cool features, like the drop down recipe box and the front landing page. It is super sweet that we now have a landing page. The landing page has already confused a few people, but to access the blog posts just push the Blog button on the menu and you will see all of the blog posts. Christin is a gem and so easy to work with! She has done such a beautiful job with the whole blog and adding my super awesome slide show. I can't wait to see what you all think of the new designs! 

Also, I have been working with the very talented, Bitsy Matatall McCann to design the new logo for Calamity Kate's Kitchen. She is a genius! We communicated with a phone call and  and several emails and look how perfect the new logo is and we have two different color choices. This one will be a keeper! I am still finishing up with Bitsy, but Calamity Kate's Kitchen will have a blog button, a new logo and (as soon as I get some time and money) CKK with have a new facebook page. The facebook page should be done before the end of June!  

In the few weeks since you last heard from me, life has changed. My dad fell and had surgery last Thursday and they re-attached his ripped quadriceps tendon on his left leg. So he is in a immobilizing cast for the next 5-6 weeks. After that he will start physical therapy. So my family is taking shifts hanging out with dad the next 6 weeks or so and helping him.  Today I am driving to their condo in Indianapolis (it is the only home that is on one floor and has an elevator in the lobby)  to hang out with him. I am bringing a Apples to Apples and Monopoly to play. While he sleeps I will continue working on organizing some more recipes for our new, drop down recipe box!

So.... what do you think of all of this change? Please leave me a comment on which color logo you like best: blue/green/purple or blue/blue.  Thanks everyone and have a wonderful day!!!        Cheers, Kate

Contact Christin Thomas Designs for a blog design

Contact Bitsy Matatall McCann for a logo (email me at katiedid512 at gmail (dot) com)with the heading of Bitsy+Design and I can contact her for you. 

Photographer's Dream $1000 Shopping Spree

Calamity Kate here, gosh, when I had a chance to be a part of another huge and cool giveaway, I jumped for the opportunity! How cool would it be for one of you to win a $1000 Photographer's Dream Shopping Spree! You could would get to pick your own camera or just get one for me, (just joking.)  I know everyone needs a great camera.

 My own camera goes everywhere with me and it is so awesome to have the perfect camera for each occasions. This week alone, my little Canon camera has taken pictures of two tarts, BBQ chicken, brucetta,  middle eastern lamb and veal meatballs, baba ganoush, mussels, hummus, my new honey pot, sweet mixed berry fougasse, pita bread and focaccia bread and more! Recipes to come!  
If you don't need a camera, you could pick out anything from lighting equipment, camera bags and more! Wow this is so fun... now all you need to do is enter below. So come on and win! 

Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Good Morning Everyone! 

I have assembled a few recipes to help you celebrate

 Cinco de Mayo! 

Mango Salsa

Chicken Fajitas

Oreo's 100th Birthday: Double Stuffed Oreo Birthday Cupcakes

 The Oreo cookie just celebrated its 100th Birthday

 So I decided to make cupcakes with Oreo's 100th birthday special

birthday cake creame flavored Oreos!

My Birthday Weekend: Part 1

My whole birthday weekend was so much more fun and exciting then I ever imagined it would be. We drove the 2 hours to Chicago and met my brother and his girlfriend, Danielle at Tavern on Rush.  The meal was amazing! Check it out...

My Birthday Brownie Sundae!

Kate's Birthday Recipes: Today Is My Birthday

Today is my 33rd Birthday!

Billy's vanilla cupcakes have been my favorite recipe for as long as I can remember! The cake is moist and flavorful and its the perfect balance for the rich, creamy frosting. I have made these cupcakes with Billy's Chocolate Buttercream. The chocolate buttercream is delicious  but the vanilla is my all time favorite. And, for some reason, I can't bring myself to serve these cupcakes with anything but a fresh raspberry on top. There is nothing that can make these cupcakes more perfect than they already are. 

Kate's Birthday Recipes: The Best Oatmeal Cookies

Welcome to April everyone! Wow, this year is going by so fast already! Anyways, April is  my birthday month, and I am going share some of my all time favorite recipes and some of my special Kate's Birthday Recipes. But we are starting with deserts... it's my birthday month and I am starting with some of my favorite desserts. Come on... this birthday girl is going dessert crazy starting with my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe!

"Phoebe: Okay. We haven’t known each other for that long a time. And there are three things you should know about me. One, my friends are the most important thing in my live. Two, I never lie. And three, I make the best oatmeal-raisin cookies in the world. 

Rachel: Okay. Thanks, Pheebs. Why haven’t I tasted these before? 

Phoebe: Well, I don’t make them a lot. Because I don’t think it’s fair to the other cookies."

Awesome Kitchenaid Shopping Spree - Open Worldwide

I am so, so excited to be a part of this awesome Kitchenaid Shopping Spree!!

 Kitchenaid Shopping Spree 

Worth $700 

Open Worldwide, April 3 - 24, 2013

I was so excited to be included in this great Kitchenaid Shopping Spree Giveaway. I totally though you would all love to win $700 of Kitchenaid Stuff! Of course, who doesn't want tons of Kitchenaid products and $700 will get you tons of kitchen items and of course, if you don't have a Kitchenaid stand mixer yet this is your chance!! 

To help hold this contest, I am proud and excited to be partnering with an awesome group of bloggers and business owners including Spaceships and Laser Beams, Michelle's Party Plan-It, This Little Mama, Flaired Affairs, Inkberry Cards + Design, Mimi's Dollhouse, DimplePrints, BellaGrey Designs, A Wife A Mom A Life, Party-Tales, Paper and Style Co., My Garden Party, PaperCandee, Miss Party Mom, Sweet Eats Cakes, Toadally Cute, Calamity Kate's Kitchen, Kyonda's Korner, Karo's Fun Land, Life Revolves Around Them, Go Against the Grain and Saving By Design.

Prize: The winner can select up to $700 in Kitchenaid brand products (not including sales taxes), which will be delivered to the single destination of their choosing. The winner has the option of receiving $800 USD in PayPal funds in lieu of receiving their prize. 
The winner will be selected randomly via Rafflecopter. The odds of winning are dependent on the number of people entering. Should the winning entrant(s) not respond within 48 hours of being emailed, another winner(s) will be selected. Please ensure spaceshipsandlaserbeams@gmail.com is on your safe email list. We would hate to have to redraw another winner!

Eligibility: Contest is open worldwide from April 3, 2013 at 12:01 am ET to April 24, 2013 at 11:59pm ET. All entrants must be 18 years of age. Void where prohibited by law.

Disclosure: I did not receive compensation to be part of this giveaway. This giveaway is in no way associated with Kitchenaid, PayPal, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. This blog is not responsible for prize distribution. Should unforeseen circumstances arise, contest can be cancelled at any time without notification. Please contact Stephanie from Spaceships and Laser Beams at spaceshipsandlaserbeams@gmail.com should you have any questions. 

Enter Using Our Rafflecopter Form
Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Warm Cherry Almond Crisp

This cherry crisp was amazing! I am so glad that I made it for my friend Corrine and I was very excited to have the leftovers to myself!

List #4

The List #4
Happy Spring Break!

Reading:  I am reading Hotel Pastis by Peter Mayle. I have read this book more than a hundred times, its that good!. This is my second favorite book by Peter Mayle, my first favorite is A Year in Provence. These books are like mini foodie vacations to France. Make sure you have lots of food to snack on while reading. This is a foodie book and you will get hungry!