Cupcakes Oh my!

I love sweet stuff. Not gonna lie...nothing makes me happier than a fresh gooey cookie
or a cheesecake or pie.
But let's face it: Cupcakes will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Why? Because they take us back to a magical place in our past where nothing was wrong, playtime still meant playing and no one knew what a calorie was.
For those of us who have children, we can still see this place as we watch our children. And while eating a sweet frosting covered cupcake, we can once again visit this world for ourselves.
And so, I've decided that this month, I will attempt to make a cupcake that will not only remind me of that magical place but will also provide a tasty adult treat.
First up:
Lemon Cream Cupcakes (a last hurrah for the lusciousness of summer)
&
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes (as a welcome to the wonderful fall coming our way)

Hopefully--it will be a fun journey.

Special Dinner

Given my husband's love of all things cheese, I made him a Birthday Dinner centered around Gorgonzola Cheese, steak, shrimp and garlic mashed potatoes. He loved it :)
The Gorgonzola sauce was thick, rich and creamy. It was also excellent the second day on pasta. I also "tested" it earlier that evening by pouring it over some of the mashed potatoes. YUMMY! It is made with heavy cream so it will remain a special occasion dish!

For dessert: No cake for this birthday boy! His favorite all time dessert is, what else, Cheesecake!!
I made a Caramel Pecan Cheesecake that was FANTASTIC! The crust was perfectly crunchy, super yummy (I'd it just by itself!) and the cheesecake was nice and rich with the added crunch of the pecans thrown in! This one is bound to become a family favorite!

Food: Feel the Love

Food--we can't live without it. I think it is one of the most interesting aspects of the Bible. You might be curious about the passage I refer to. It's in Genesis. Have you ever noticed that the "original" sin involved food? That's right--Food tempted Eve to disobey God. And food has been tempting us all ever since.
We need food to survive. Our bodies need the nutrients contained within various foods. God designed it that way. I'm not sure why-He certainly could have done something else. I mean, how cool would it be if we could get all the nutrients we need by drinking water? Or by simply absorbing it though our skin? But no, God wanted us to eat. I like to think that He wanted us to enjoy His masterful creativity through more than just our eyes. Food can be a wondrous journey.
My love affair with food began long ago. I LOVE new foods and have tried everything I have come across. I've eaten fish eggs, raw fish sushi, buffalo, squid, snails, and oh, so many other wonderful things! I love food.
I did not however, love cooking. It's dirty. It makes a lot of dirty dishes and let's face it, dirty dishes are horrible. I hate them. I hate seeing them, I hate smelling them, I hate standing there washing them! But as a mom, I've come to realize that even the horror of dirty dishes is quelled by the ability to introduce new foods to my children and teaching them to enjoy their own food journeys.
And that is what this blog is going to be about. Our lives, seen through the foods we eat and love. My growing skills in the kitchen (I've come a long way from take-out meals and fast food!) and the new creations we enjoy!

Welcome to The HomeGrown Foodie.
Morgen