Cupcake galore!

We are officially cupcake addicted!! The Hummingbird bakery book is the best cupcake recipe book Ely and I have ever had and the results are spectacular and super good. I really feel like I could eat these cupcakes forever all day long...if it wasn't a matter of wight gaining and health care!!! But what can a little cupcake a day do? Ok, I must admit that it's difficult to don't exaggerate like last Sunday when I ate 3 Nutella cupcakes in a day. I couldn't help myself not eating them. Ely is much better than me. She ate one or two of all those we made and the rest was all mine. :) Fortunately I don't gain weight very easily... :))

Here is a photo of our Nutella Hazelnut cupcake. The best cupcakes I have ever ate!

And this is the last creation we did yesterday with Ely's sister Anna. Lemon cupcakes. Delicious (I love lemon and citrus in general!).

I have already in mind the next dozen of cupcake I wanna bake: Velvet Cupcakes with vanilla frosting and multicolor sugar decorations...YUMMY!!!

Good-bye Mariella!

Tomorrow morning my 10-year-old Peugeot 206 will be sold and I won't see it anymore forever. It's a little bit sad to sell this car, known by everyone as "Mariella", because it has been part of my (and Ely's too) everyday life for these past 10 years, across good and bad times. It was my car (new at that time!) when I first dated with Ely. It was the car that we used for our trips around Italy and later Europe (we went to France, Germany and Austria). I know it's just a machine, but I am very attached to all the memories related to it and it's sad to give away something that has been part of my life since 2000.

I'll miss you, Mariella!

Good trip wherever you'll go!

[...by the way, a new car is on its way! Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! ;)...]

Cupcake...mania!!

Our mania for cupcakes began about 2 years ago, after our last trip to the USA in 2008. When we were there, we could experience some different kinds of cupcake and all were delicious. It was the first time that we tried these little cakes with a tasty topping...with different flavors.

At Trophy Cupcake - Seattle, USA

Later, during one of our visits in London, we found out that cupcakes where disembarked in UK as well and now there are some notable cupcake shops where to try these delicious treats. One of our favourite cupcake shop in London is, among the others, "Hummingbird Bakery", in Portobello Road (but there are other Hummingbird bakery shops in Kensington and Soho!!). It's a must to stop when visiting the famous Portobello Road Market on Saturday morning!! :)

At Hummingbird Bakery - London (UK)

Last time we were in London some weeks ago Ely wanted to stop at Waterstones near Piccadilly, to check for some Nigella Lawson's cookbooks and while there I couldn't not notice my perfect book for cupcakes:

And, this is the result of our first try at home...

At home (photos by Ely)

...in just one word : HEAVEN! The recipes on the book are easy and results are just the same as the cupcakes in the shop. The cakes are so soft and delicious. The buttercream frosting sweet but perfect and equilibrated in flavor. I couldn't ask more from a cookbook!!!

And tomorrow...more cupcakes to come. After all, on Thursday (March, 25th) is my birthday and I want to spoil myself at the maximum!!!!!!

I ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ CUPCAKES!!!! :))

In a London state of mind...

This is a bunch of pictures taken during our recent stay in London...and still wishing we were there!!! :) We miss it!!!!

:: DAY 1 ::

:: DAY 2 ::

:: DAY 3 ::

:: DAY 4 ::