it seems like my husband and i are in what could now be considered a lifelong battle. 

an epic battle of function vs style. 

when i first met wesley, he didn't know style from a hole in the wall. literally. if we for some reason put a hole in the wall i'm sure he would have tried to convince me it looked fine and added some functionality to the living situation.

these days wes is usually bettered dressed than i am and feels almost a little too comfortable with interior design. but the function vs style battle wages on. most commonly in our kitchen. 

the new practice when i arrive home is to quickly survey the scene to see what if anything wes has decided to move. the next decision then comes down to two scenarios… 

1. is this something i can live with?

2. how can i rearrange this so he doesn't really notice?

usually, i opt for option two and the dangerous dance commences. i move it. he moves it. i move three things. he moves four. and after about seven battle rounds, enough blood has been spilled and we agree on some compromise and move on to the next area lacking functionality/style. 

but, of course there are some things we don't need to argue about. this cake base is a tried true favorite i have been serving up for years and never disappoints. it's light and fluffy and can easily be tweaked to match the flavors you are feeling with just an adjustment or two. plus the sprinkles make it freaking adorable.

sprinkle cakes
serving size: 18 cupcakes
prep time: 10 min
bake time: 15-20 min
total time with frosting: 1.5hrs

2 cups flour. 2 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp salt. .5 cup shortening. 2 eggs. 1.5 cups sugar. .75 cups buttermilk. .5 cups whole milk .5 tsp vanilla extract. .5tsp almond extract. 1 cup confetti sprinkles.

preheat your oven to 350 f. with a mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and shortening.

with the mixer on a medium speed, add in the eggs until just combined. 

still on medium, pour in the milk and buttermilk and mix till smooth. pour in both extracts. 

with the mixer on a slow speed add in the dry ingredients until just combined. 

mix in the sprinkles with a spatula and spoon the mixture into a large ziplock or piping bag.

into prepared cupcake pans, add 2-3 tbs batter to each pan. 

bake until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. about 15 to 20 minutes

allow to cool completely, frost and serve. 

xoxo
a

sprinkle cakes.
serving size: 18 cupcakes
prep time: 10 min
bake time: 15-20 min
total time with frosting: 1.5hrs

2 cups flour. 2 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp salt. .5 cup shortening. 2 eggs. 1.5 cups sugar. .75 cups buttermilk. .5 cups whole milk .5 tsp vanilla extract. .5tsp almond extract. 1 cup confetti sprinkles.

preheat your oven to 350 f. with a mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and shortening.
with the mixer on a medium speed, add in the eggs until just combined.
still on medium, pour in the milk and buttermilk and mix till smooth. pour in both extracts.
with the mixer on a slow speed add in the dry ingredients until just combined.
mix in the sprinkles with a spatula and spoon the mixture into a large ziplock or piping bag.
into prepared cupcake pans, add 2-3 tbs batter to each pan.
bake until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. about 15 to 20 minutes
allow to cool completely.
frost with your favorite frosting and serve.

let me begin by saying we are all busy. the older we get, the fuller life seems to be. whether you work crazy hours, stay at home with the kids or are self employed, we could all use some more time in our day. 

in september of last year, i left my extremely demanding job in wholesale fashion. 

for three months, i took a break from normal life and finished planning our wedding. 

halfway through our honeymoon i was itching to get back home and get back to work. it had been almost four months since i "worked" and i was aching to feel productive again.

except, i had to redefine what "working" looked like in my world. 

wes and i have been plotting and dreaming about having our careers and lives rooted in food for the entirety of our relationship. so i've been spending my working time, aka whenever i'm not working at the yoga and spin studio, running around trying to get our food business in motion. no details as of yet, because i really don't have too many to give. but... thing are moving. and we are BUSY. 

yeah yeah. get to the point...

with all that is going on, wes and i busted out one of his old restaurant favorites to have on hand in a pinch. this light and boldly flavored butter is perfect to spread on bread as you run out the door or dollop on fish, chicken or beef while it's cooking to liven up your dinner. 

garlic herb whipped butter
serving size: 1 cup
prep time: 5 min
total time: 10 min + time for butter to soften
2 sticks butter.1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped. 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped. 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped. 3 garlic cloves, minced. pinch of salt. 

remove your butter from the fridge and allow it to soften but not become mushy. in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand blender, whisk the butter until it starts to become fluffy. 3-5 min. 

add in the garlic, herbs and salt. continue to whisk to everything is just combined. 

spoon the butter into a bowl or tupperware type container and refrigerate for up to two weeks using as needed. 

xoxo
a

garlic herb whipped butter
serving size: 1 cup
prep time: 5 min
total time: 10 min + time for butter to soften
2 sticks butter.1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped. 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped. 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped. 3 garlic cloves, minced. pinch of salt. 

remove your butter from the fridge and allow it to soften but not become mushy. in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand blender, whisk the butter until it starts to become fluffy. 3-5 min. add in the garlic, herbs and salt. continue to whisk to everything is just combined. 

spoon the butter into a dish or wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two weeks using as needed.