New Orleans Cupcake Craze has arrived

Posted on January 16th, 2009 by Monique, under Cooking, Daily Life, Kitchen, Louisiana, New Orleans, Photography, Vegetarian, Weblog.

Who doesn’t love cupcakes?!?! I personally enjoy cupcakes, from searching for new recipes to eating them with loved ones. They are like a little special cake, just a serving and just enough. The fun thing about cupcakes are you can make them especially decadent and they disappear! Its much different from baking an entire large cake in that fashion. I know some people can huff down a chunk of chocolate cake by inhaling, but some of us like to be a little more reserved in our cupcake chowing.

In the last ten years, there has been a growing trend nation wide of cupcake specialty bakeries opening up. At a couple dollars a piece, in today’s economy almost anyone can get some change together and for less than $5 have a coffee and sweet little cupcake treat. So it is not surprising that this trend has finally hit New Orleans, who embraces such things with open arms.

I myself am a vegetarian, so when I make cupcakes I substitute all the animal products such as eggs and dairy butter and make vegetarian cupcakes. The result is still a wonderful sweet delightful treat, as seen in my cute cupcake pic below:

I was so glad to come across this article about the New Orleans cupcake craze this morning.

Zoey Devall is still pinching herself. A few months ago, she was working as vice president of external affairs for the economic development organization Greater New Orleans Inc. Today, she spends her days inside an Uptown storefront, churning out cupcakes by the hundreds.

“It’s just been an amazing response,” Devall said of customers’ reaction to her boutique cupcake bakery, Bee Sweet Cupcakes, at 5706 Magazine St.

The 375-square-foot store, with sugar sweet turquoise walls, flowery accessories and a display case filled with all varieties of cupcakes selling for $2.75 a piece, opened the day after Thanksgiving. The debut came just months after Devall decided to pursue the idea, inspired by Monday night baking sessions with her 4-year-old son and frequent trips to New York.

“We had a line,” she recalled of opening day. “And it was raining.”

Okay, so its officially Mardi Gras Carnival Season, where’s the king cupcakes!?! I will have to find some, or make some… hmmm

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Growing Cherry Tomatoes

Posted on May 20th, 2008 by Monique, under Daily Life, Food, Gardening, Nature, New Orleans, Outdoors, Photography, Vegetarian, Weblog.

We have about 10×30 feet in the backyard of fended off garden area, and are growing lots of tomatoes. Here is a picture of the cherry tomatoes. This plant has tripled in size and already making tomatoes within a month of planting it in the ground. It had a little bit of yellowing leaves at the base of the plant, but looks like it is taking off and should make us lots of salad tomatoes. Yum.

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My female Miniature Pinscher Penny

Posted on May 13th, 2008 by Monique, under Animals, Daily Life, Friends, Nature, New Orleans, Outdoors, Videos, Weblog.

This is a quick video (no audio) that I took with the movie setting of my olympus digital camera.

Penny is my 2 year old miniature pinscher who loves to chase, bark, and play in the backyard. There is a glimpse of our male mini pin Max eating some greens on the side of the fish pond in the background. He grazes like a cow and watches the fish like the old dog he is.

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Morning Sunrise in South Louisiana

Posted on May 13th, 2008 by Monique, under Animals, Daily Life, Nature, New Orleans, Outdoors, Photography, Weblog.

This morning I found myself in my backyard being showered by sparkly sunbeams swirling in the sky. The sky in south Louisiana is beautiful. It was cool and the sunshine was plentiful.

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Velvet Ice Cream Cookies ‘n Cream

Posted on May 6th, 2008 by Monique, under Daily Life, Dessert, Food, New Orleans, Photography.

Here is another tasty local food, Brown’s Velvet Ice Cream. They have this one flavor, Creole Cream Cheese, which they were out of at the store but is absolutely delicious if you are a cheesecake fan. So we got cookies ‘n cream instead.

I almost think I want another ice cream cone!

and yes, there is nothing vegetarian about this ice cream. Cheating time.

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