It's the Great Pumpkin!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I absolutely love October. I love the cool weather, the bright colors, and the warm flavors of fall. As much as I don’t want the baseball season to end, I love the playoffs (even though the Red Sox didn’t get very far this year… *sniff*) and the World Series. I love watching and going to football games (even though the Browns game I went to was absolutely pathetic…), and hockey season is back! I love dressing up for Halloween and passing out candy for Trick or Treat. And it’s completely impossible for me not to watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” when it’s on TV. But what I love more than anything is bundling up in a hoodie and heading out to the local fruit farm to pick my very own pumpkin. There’s something so rewarding about stomping through a muddy pumpkin patch on the quest for the perfect pumpkin. I have to find the one that “speaks” to me. One that draws me in and says “Here I am! Take me home!” Boyfriend just looks for the biggest one he can find. This year, despite being really chilly, and the threat of rain, we made our way to Lynd’s Fruit Farm in Pataskala for tons of pumpkin fun.

Wild Blueberry and Gouda Cupcakes (Taste of Pure Imagination)

My mother, like so many other moms, always told me, “Never take candy from strangers.” I know it was for my own safety, so I didn’t get kidnapped or anything, but I hate to break it to you Mom—I didn’t listen. And not to throw salt in an open wound, but not only did I take candy from a stranger, I did it in a tattoo shop, of all places. In my own defense, I was merely there for moral support, not for myself (I’m terrified of needles, a big baby when it comes to pain, and too indecisive to have something done to me at 20 that I’ll have to still look at when I’m 90). And the man who gave it to me looked nice enough, plus—it was chocolate. I can’t turn down chocolate, no matter who it’s from! Especially when it’s the best chocolate I’ve ever had. According to the stranger, the chocolate covered apricot I was enjoying came from the “adorable little woman” from the chocolate place in the North Market. It’s been about 7 years now since I went against my mom’s advice, and for the past 7 years I’ve been going to that adorable little woman, whom we now affectionately call YiaYia, the Greek word for Grandmother, at Pure Imagination Chocolatier, for all my chocolate indulgences.

Walk Away (Iron Cupcake Earth: Music)

What do you do, when you know something’s bad for you, and you still can’t let go.

With Iron Cupcake Earth’s triumphant return comes this month’s challenge—music. What on Earth does music have to do with cupcakes? To me, everything. I can’t live without music, and I certainly can’t bake without it. It’s an integral part of my routine. My pink chef’s coat and my iPod—they’re like socks and shoes. They’re made to be worn together. Music puts me into a zone where I block the entire world out and just feel. It helps me focus on what I’m doing, and inspires me to create something beautiful and delicious when I bake. Before long, I find myself singing at the top of my lungs, pouring my heart and soul into the song, and whatever I’m baking. I feel like I’m adding a little touch of magic to my baked goods through music. Call it my secret ingredient. So this music challenge should be a piece of cake! (No pun intended.) But once I started actually thinking about it, the harder it seemed. How was I going to come up with just one song to base a cupcake off of? Sure there were tons of choices, but I didn’t want to go with something obvious and easy. That’s not my style. This challenge meant something to me. And I had to have an entry that meant something to me too. After listening to more than half of the songs on my iPod, I finally found one perfect song. A song that speaks to me. A song I truly understand. It’s a song called Walk Away.

Revenge of Cupcake Camp Columbus

It’s been a bit over a week since Cupcake Camp, and I think I’ve finally gotten over my self-induced sugar coma. I’ve been meaning to sit down and write about my experience, but I could do little more than lay on the couch in pajama pants (with an elastic waistband) and groan unintelligibly. As it is now, the details are a bit fuzzy, lost in the haze of a serious sugar overdose, but I’ll try my best to remember as much as possible about that glorious frosting filled day. And forgive me if I have to resort to pictures to remember it all.

Is That Bobby Flay at the Door? Cause We're About to Have a Throwdown

Fall is officially here. The leaves are changing and the weather is getting colder. Hoodies and jackets are replacing tank tops and flip flops. The baseball season is wrapping up, and football is in full swing. The stores are lining their shelves with Halloween candy and costumes; skeletons and ghosts haunt the aisles, while just a few shelves away, the first Christmas decorations of the season make their appearance. With the change of the seasons comes a change in tastes and flavors. Gone are the abundance of fresh berries and other summer fruits in the grocery stores and farmers markets. They’ve been replaced with apples and pumpkins, while the warm smells of cinnamon and nutmeg fill the air. I love everything about fall. It’s my favorite season, and October might just be my favorite month of the year. But up until last year, I was missing out on one of the most important parts of fall—pumpkins! Growing up I never liked the flavor of pumpkin. No pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin rolls, or pumpkin spiced lattes for me. That is, until Kiesha brought in a pumpkin cheesecake she made to share at work last year. Not one to turn down dessert, I sliced a piece, thinking I probably wouldn’t like it, but I’d at least I’d give it a try. I couldn’t have been more wrong. With one bite, the skies opened up, light from Heaven shined down to illuminate my plate, while a choir of angels sang praises to this piece of pumpkin cheesecake. How had I gone so long without something so delicious? I definitely had to rethink my stance on pumpkin abstinence. This year, as soon as the weather showed the slightest hint of fall, pumpkin was the only thing I could think about. I was dying to make pumpkin anything! Luckily I didn’t have to wait long.

Like Cupcakes? Perfect!

Want to eat lots and lots of cupcakes? Are you planning on being in or around Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, October 10th? Then you've got to get yourself some tickets and get to CupcakeCamp Columbus!

That's right. It's baaaaaack! And this time it's bigger than ever! Just $10 gets you in the door to eat 39 different cupcakes! Yeah. 39. (And all proceeds go to the Mid Ohio Food Bank! So not only do you get to eat tons of cupcakes, but you're helping people too!) So get yourself to the North Market, or buy your tickets online for a chance to stuff yourself full of delicious sugary treats! And a chance to meet The Busty Baker! I know you all wanna do that right? Well, if not, you can at least meet Kiesha of 52 Weeks of Baking! Cause she's the super cool person that set this whole thing up! So what are you waiting for?? Get your tickets and get here! It's gonna be awesome!

The details:
Where: The North Market, in the Dispatch Kitchen (2nd floor)
Address: 59 Spruce Street, Columbus, OH 43215 (See map below)
When: Saturday, October 10th from 1-3 PM
Tickets: $10 - Available at The North Market, or purchase online
Find out more at: Cupcake Camp Columbus, on Facebook, or follow on Twitter - @CupcakeCampCBUS



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Never been to Cupcake Camp? Check out how fun the last one was!

An awesome thanks to Kiesha for being the coolest person I know putting this all together, and an big thanks to Clinton Reno for the amazingly cool poster!