MSC: Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

So I'm a few days behind on posting this month's challenge, but here they are a few days late.  This month for our Martha Stewart's Cupcake Challenge, Rebecca of The Baking Sisters chose the Chocolate Chip Cupcakes from the Martha Stewart Cupcakes book.  Please forgive my grainy cell phone pictures! So I boxed up the cupcakes and delivered them cupid style on Valentine's Day.

I think my Dad was pretty excited!

I thought these cupcakes were fairly simple to make. I chose to make chocolate buttercream frosting instead of the dark chocolate frosting. No one in my family really likes dark chocolate, so I figured chocolate buttercream was the way to go.

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day! Next month we are baking the Candied Hazelnut Cupcakes.

CSN Stores $35 Gift Certificate WINNER!

Congratulations to...

Blogger Lori! She said:

"I would probably use it on a baking set, like the Rachael Ray Oven Lovin Set."

Woo hoo! Check your email Lori!

Thanks to all that entered, I have 99 followers now. So exciting!

TGIF! Let's have a giveaway!

I am so excited to offer a $35 gift code to CSN Stores!  With Valentine's Day coming up, CSN Stores is the perfect place to shop for a gift for your sweetheart. And its Friday, so there is no better way to celebrate than with a giveaway!

CSN Stores have been quite the buzz in the internet shopping world, they have something for everyone. This round chair would be perfect at home or in an office setting. I love the modern style! And, it comes in five awesome colors.

Want a chance to win a $35 gift code to CSN Stores? Here's how:

1. Visit CSNStores.com and leave a comment on this post letting me know what you might spend your gift code on.

2. Follow my blog and leave me a comment letting me know that you are a follower.

3. Follow CSN Stores on Twitter and leave me a comment letting me know you follow.



Contest Rules:
-Open to residents of the US and Canada
-Giveaway ends February 4th, 2011 at 11:59CST

Disclaimer: I was provided with a $35 to give away to one of my readers. I was not compensated for this review, these words are my own.

CSN Stores Review

By now you have probably heard about CSN Stores. This online retailer has just about anything you could want or need.

I love shopping with CSN Stores. One of my favorite things about them is how quickly they process their orders. I placed an order and had my items delivered within a week, which is perfect for the holiday season! CSN Stores have the best packaging, too. Every package comes delivered securely packed, so your purchases are safe on the inside. I am always impressed when a package arrives and is so expertly packed to make sure that the product arrives as it is intended.

My latest order from CSN Stores was on two OXO food storage products. Here is the OXO Top Container. It holds 9.3 cups and is the perfect size for carrying Christmas cookies or candy to a holiday party. This is one of the many products that has guaranteed delivery by December 24th!

Here is my FAVORITE product from OXO. It is the OXO Pop Container Square, holding 5.5 quarts! I have always had a problem with my cereal going stale. Let's be honest, folding the bag over and clipping it closed isn't the best method around! So now I store my cereal in this Pop Container and my cereal stays fresh.

CSN Stores has a great variety of OXO products, and many of them are guaranteed delivery by December 24th. Some of them even have free shipping (who doesn't love free shipping?!). So head on over to CSN Stores and check out their amazing selection of gifts (for yourself or someone special!).






Disclaimer: I was provided with a $35 gift code for CSN Stores in exchange for this review. These words are my own, I was not compensated by CSN Stores or OXO for this review.

CSN Stores Upcoming Review

The wonderful people at CSN Stores are at it again!  Soon I will be reviewing a product from CSN Stores' numerous selections.  You can find almost anything you need, from bar tables and stools to the perfect Christmas gift.  I can spend hours looking at their selection of products, there are so many to choose from!

I am so excited for holiday baking to begin, and I can't wait to share my review of CSN Stores with all of my readers.  Have a great week!

CSN Stores $35 Gift Certificate WINNER!

Congratulations to Norma! She is going to get a set of Dansk steak knives with her $35 gift certificate to CSNstores.com. 

Thank you so much to everyone who entered. I'm so glad to have you all as readers!  Be sure to visit CSNstores.com for all of your shopping needs.

MSC: Snickerdoodle Cupcakes and a CSN Stores Giveaway!

This month for our Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Club, Katie from Katiecakes chose the Snickerdoodle Cupcakes on page 138 of the Martha Stewart Cupcakes book.  I have been looking forward to making these cupcakes because I LOVE the Martha Stewart Snickerdoodle Cookies recipe found in her Cookies book.

One thing I really liked about these cupcakes is that you can make them with ingredients you probably have already in your pantry.  I halved the recipe, and ended up with 11 cupcakes.  I also baked them for less time than the book stated, about 16 minutes. 

I decided to use my "go-to" buttercream frosting recipe, simply because me and boiled frostings don't get along very well.  I thought these turned out wonderfully. They had an amazing cinnamon flavor, and went perfectly with a glass of milk. I will definitely be making these again.

And now for the giveaway!  CSNstores.com would like to give one of my readers a $35 gift certificate to any of their 200+ stores.

CSNstores.com is a baker's paradise.  There are so many kitchen items to choose from.  If you win, you may have a hard time deciding what to choose!  Here is how to enter, there are many different chances for you to win:

1. Leave me a comment on this blog letting me know what you would spend your $35 from CSNstores.com.

2. Follow my blog and leave me a comment letting me know that you now follow me.

3. Follow me on Twitter then leave me a comment with your user name.

4. Follow CSNstores on Twitter then leave me a comment with your user name.

So there are four different ways to enter.  Entries for the giveaway will be accepted through Thursday, October 21st at Midnight (CST).  Good luck!