26 here you Recipes

gone are the days where the bride and groom share a slice of a 3, 4, or 5 tier wedding cake. nowadays some people are opting for a more simple cake solution, yet they still want the elegance that a large tiered cake offers. enter on stage the simple yet elegant cupcake., versatile cupcakes are standing along side and, in some cases, replacing larger cakes these days. below are some helpful hints if you want to use cupcakes for the main cake at your wedding., tip #1 : arrangement, how you arrange your cupcakes is as important if not more important than the taste. everyone wants a breathtaking wedding cake at their reception so arranging your cupcakes to give this appearance is very necessary., my personal favorite way of arranging my cupcakes is to stack 4 or 5 boxes on top of each other to form a tree of sorts. i choose boxes that are approximately 4 to 5 inches high. i like 24 inch square boxes then 18 inches square then 12 inches then 6 inches square. this gives me a cupcake ledge of 3 inches when the boxes are stacked., decorate your boxes as you wish. beautiful paper wrapped around the boxes then a ribbon all the way around is a great decorating combination ., your wedding cake cupcakes can then be placed on the ledges and on top of the boxes for a beautiful arrangement for your wedding., arrangement idea for your wedding cupcakes is to place cupcakes underneath raised cake platters. larger cakes or more cupcakes can be placed on top of the platters., how your cupcakes taste and even how many different flavors you offer are both very important to the overall success of your wedding cupcakes. i think 1 of the best reasons to have wedding cupcakes instead of a large wedding cake would be that you can have many different kinds of cakes. not everyone prefers the same type of cake and frosting so having 2 or 3 different types of cake flavors would be ideal., three of my favorite flavors are vanilla , chocolate, and lemon cupcakes. these are a great combination for any special occasion that you may choose to serve cupcakes. you can either serve all of the different flavors in the same cups with the same decoration or you can use different cups and/or different decorations for each cake flavor you choose., skimp on the ingredients for your wedding cupcakes. fresh cupcakes made from your favorite cupcake recipes are always the best choice. boxed cake mixes just won tsp cut i for special occasion cupcakes. the same goes for frosting. make your frosting instead of buying it prepackaged from a grocery store. if you don tsp feel confident making your own, you could always buy some freshly made frosting from a local bakery., presentation is everything when dealing with weddings. you should make sure your cupcakes are just the right size so they are absolutely gorgeous when presented. the entire purpose of serving cupcakes at a wedding is to give your guests a small taste of a wonderful dessert. small is the key word here. you don tsp want cupcakes that are larger than an actual teacup. if they are, then they should be called mini cakes and not cupcakes., also, it would cost you a fortune to bake mini cakes for each of your guests. the right size cupcake will offer just the right amount of cake for each person attending and will also likely save you money., be careful not to err on the side of your cupcakes being too small. if your cupcakes are too small, you may run out of cupcakes before you guests sweet teeth are satisfied. you also run the risk of having too much frosting on a small cupcake which could ruin the overall taste of your wedding cupcakes., i ve found that the perfect size cupcakes are baked in 1/2 cup wells that i fill approximately 1/2 to 2/3 full of cupcake batter. make sure you carefully measure the cupcake batter each time you fill a well. this will make sure that your cupcakes come out of the oven all the same size., i hope that these tips will help you produce the most beautiful wedding cupcakes that anyone has ever seen! good luck

lean ground beef, ground italian sausage, grated fresh or dry minced onion, garlic, minced, eggs, dry italian breadcrumbs, worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, dry oregano (you can sub 1tsp fresh, here, i just prefer mexican oregano and i use dried, fresh parsley, chopped, fresh basil, chopped, tomato sauce, chunky marinara sauce(homemade or your favorite jarred ), kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper, alfredo sauce(homemade or your favorite jarred ), stuffed tortellini (i suggest either spinach or mushroom)

ground italian sausage(i like hot, but sweet or mild are fine, to your taste), russet potatoes, rinsed and cubed in about 1/2 inch cubes (i don tsp bother peeling them), quality peppered or smoked bacon, garlic, minced, onion, diced, fresh greens(chard , kale, spinach, turnip or mustard greens all work, here), chicken stock, water, fresh ground pepper, heavy cream (you can use half and half or even milk, here, but the taste will not be as rich, and the soup will be thinner.), fresh grated parmesan cheese

cabbage (shredded and bagged cabbage or coleslaw mix works great and saves this step), ground turkey (tvp, veggie crumbles etc.) or 16 oz lean ground beef (tvp, veggie crumbles etc.), yellow onion, chopped, garlic cloves, minced (more if you like ), eggs, beaten or 1 egg substitute, stewed tomatoes, chicken broth or 8 oz vegetarian, vegetable juice , like v8 (we like to use the hot & spicy here), brown sugar, cayenne (more if you like ) (optional), worcestershire sauce (veg friendly can be used), nutmeg, fresh ground is best, bay leaf, salt and pepper, to taste, rice, raw

carrots, sliced, big onion, diced, celery root, diced, green peas, red bell pepper, diced, garlic cloves, sliced, peeled chopped tomatoes, sea salt and pepper, to taste, sunflower oil, celery leaves, chopped, dried parsley, dry mixed vegetables (i used my homemade mix, you can find it here , but you can use any healthy, monoglutamate free, vegg), fresh parsley, for garnish

whole chickens, cut up (i will skip the killing and cleaning part that we go through), tomato paste, fresh tomato (you can peel and seed if you wish, we eat everything here), garlic clove, crushed, onion, diced, chunky peanut butter, palm oil (available in oriental markets, feel free to substitute with a healthier oil), bay leaf, thyme, salt, black pepper, hot pepper (we use pili pili, a very native to here, most like scotch bonnet in flavor but makes habe)

butter, pretzels (stick work best ), garlic, minced (or more if you dare, either through a garlic press or in a food processor), original essence (either commercial or use the recipe here)

cream cheese, softened (two boxes, light works great but don tsp use fat free), mayonnaise (light also works here, but do not use miracle whip!), parmesan cheese, shredded, garlic cloves, finely minced, fire-roasted green chilies (1 can), diced jalapeno peppers, drained (2oz is mild, 4oz is very spicy. canned is best, but you can use up to 8 fresh jalapenos, seeded and ), bacon, cooked and crumbled , reserve 3 tbsp for topping (don tsp use fake bacon bits, but real bacon pieces are okay), green onions, finely sliced (optional), sourdough baguettes, sliced (also great with crackers or veggies)

all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, zest of 1 lemon, butter, cold, cut into small cubes, fresh lemon juice, milk (if you prefer , use cream or half and half here), raw sugar for sprinkling (or granulated sugar is fine)

butter (no substitutes here, please!), brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, rice chex cereal, pretzel sticks, mixed nuts (i use cashews, but use whatever you like)

rice noodles, soy sauce, lime , juice of, garlic cloves, minced, fresh ginger (thin, big slices), minced gingerroot, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, good vegetable stock, star anise, diced extra firm tofu, fresh bean sprouts, coarsely chopped, fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (you must use fresh), scallions, chopped, fresh mint, coarsely chopped (fresh here too), chinese hot chili paste (like tiger sauce)

extra ripe bananas, mashed (the riper they are the better), eggs, soft butter , 1 stick, 20 seconds in microwave., sugar, baking soda, dried cranberries (6oz package. craisins) you can experiment here, i like to use 1/2 cup original and 1/2 cup orange flavored craisins., flour , just plain unbleached ., walnut halves, again i prefer to use big pieces of walnuts as opposed to walnut pieces.

olive oil, red onion, diced, garlic, minced, hot thai chili peppers, minced (sub, here, if desired for level of heat preferred), bell pepper, diced, head broccoli, florets only, white kidney beans, undrained, cooked crab meat (i can tsp recommend canned cus i ve never used it), guava nectar(try to use all natural , if possible), chicken or veggie stock, dry mustard, cumin, several dashes of sriracha sauce, coconut milk (i found some real in the produce section and was thrilled... it s what inspired the idea of a soup...but, use the canned, if you have no other choice, cellophane noodles, uncooked, fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving, kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper

mori-nu silken tofu, fresh asparagus, onion, finely chopped, carrots, peeled and shredded, fresh tomatoes, diced, curry powder, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, flour, salt and pepper, garlic granules

food cake mix (any chocolate cake is fine), eggs, water, applesauce (i sub this for the oil here, it works fine, but use oil if you prefer), chocolate pudding, low-fat milk, heath candy bars, crushed, cream, strong coffee (or the condensed milk or kaluah)

rotini pasta, firm tomatoes, chopped, celery chopped, bell pepper (color of your choice) chopped, green onions chopped, salt, pepper, your favorite italian salad dressing (hi cal, lo cal, homemade as long as you like it), diced carrots (i prefer shredded here), cucumbers chopped, pepperoni chopped, smoked ham chopped, garlic minced fine

green onions (chopped fine ), tuna (drained , white chunk tuna is preferred), sriracha hot chili sauce (more if you really like it hot), mayonnaise, pepper (freshly ground ), sesame oil, tomato (sliced ), english muffins (lightly toasted , bays brand preferred), cheddar cheese (a mild cheese works best here) or 1 cup monterey jack cheese (a mild cheese works best here)