Westies cupcakes

Alan Richardson and Karen Tack's "Hello, Cupcake!" is my new favorite cookbook ever!

Here is one of their most outstanding recipes, whose final product embellishes the cover of the book:

Westies cupcakes

INGREDIENTS


• 6 standard vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners
• 6 mini vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners
• 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
• Brown, yellow, and black food coloring (available at baking supply stores or see Sources, page 229)
• 1 cup dark chocolate frosting
• 12 mini marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon pink decorating sugar (available at baking supply stores or see Sources)
• 14 black chocolate-covered sunflower seeds (available at gourmet candy stores or see Sources)
• 4 Cinnamon Red Hots
• 6 strands red licorice laces

TIPS
1. Spoon 3/4 cup of the vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag, press out the excess air, and seal. Tint 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting golden brown with the brown and yellow food coloring and spoon it into one side of a ziplock bag. Spoon 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting into the other side of the bag. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the dark chocolate frosting down the center of the bag. Press out the excess air and seal the bag. Tint the remaining dark chocolate frosting black with the food coloring. Spoon 1/2 cup of the black frosting into a ziplock bag, press out the excess air, and seal. Spoon 6 tablespoons of the black frosting to one side of a ziplock bag and spoon the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla frosting to the other side of the bag. Press out the excess air and seal.

2. Cut 6 of the mini marshmallows in half on the diagonal to make the ears and press the cut sides into the pink sugar to coat. Cut the remaining 6 marshmallows on the diagonal to remove one-third of the marshmallow. The larger piece will be used to make the muzzle.

3. Reinforce a bottom corner of each ziplock bag with 6 overlapping layers of Scotch tape. Pinch the taped corner flat and snip a small M-shape in the corner. First make the head. Working with a different color for each cupcake, pipe a small dot of frosting on the lower half of a mini cupcake, just below the center. Press a large piece of marshmallow, pointed side up, onto the frosting for the muzzle. Pipe two dots of frosting on opposite sides near the top of the cupcake and attach the ears, sugared side up. Pipe several lines of frosting to cover the nonsugared portion of the ears. Then, starting at one ear, pipe 1/2- inch strokes of frosting around the edge of the cupcake, working your way below the muzzle and up to the other ear, always pulling the frosting away from the center. Next, start at the top of the head and pipe long lines, first to the left, then to the right, working your way down to the marshmallow, then covering the sides of the marshmallow. Pipe smaller lines on the front of the marshmallow (leave the marshmallow exposed on the white Westie). Pipe small tufts of hair between the ears. Add 2 of the black sunflower seeds for the eyes and a Red Hot for the nose (use a black sunflower seed for the nose of the white Westie).

4. Now make the body, using one of the standard cupcakes and the frosting that matches the head. Start piping about 1/2 inch in from the edge and work your way around the cupcake. Continue piping rows in concentric circles until the cupcake is covered. Turn the decorated head on its side and place on the body. Add a licorice lace for the leash.

5. Continue with the remaining cupcakes, making 2 white Westies, 2 salt-and pepper terriers, 1 black terrier, and 1 brown mix.



Arf!

Presidents Day Sale & Values

Beautiful graphic design on the Dillard’s flyer that I came across when looking for the comic strips in last Sunday's newspaper. Mmmmm... Great deals, especially on comforters. From now on I think I'll make it my favorite place to go shopping.

Cool Christmas

This poster belongs to a series of ads that Black & White Scotch Whisky launched in 1965. The slogan reads: "The answer in gift scotches is as clear as "Black & White"". Blackie and Whitey dressed up in Santa suits, people in the background, for sale at the Deco Dog website, dimensions: 10" x 13", very good condition. What's cool about this ad is that the edition of that year already came on a Christmas themed box so you didn't even have to wrap it!

I don't know if you share this thought but there is something about old vintage ads that is just so fascinating. They reveal a cool, sophisticated world of a bygone era. I am pretty sure I can recreate a party just like that in one the spaces of my kingdom. Say, The Red Room. Yes! That's where I'll through my Christmas party this year! RSVP by December 23. Please don't forget to bring the turkey, the Dom Perignon, the ham bread and, if you're fortunate to enough find them, the hallacas.

The T* train

Poster courtesy of the talented Johanna Kriesel.


Interesting poster I spotted at a railway station during my flash visit to the UK.



*Terrier. Nice puppies, although I am much much cuter. Isn't that true mummy?

Egg Nog Recipe Scottish Style

This classic holiday beverage is sinfully rich, thick, and delicious. My recipe uses rum extract, but many folks prefer to spike their eggnog with the real thing. The recipe makes 2-3 servings; to serve a crowd you can multiply it, make it through the chilling stage, and then quickly finish it by adding the extract (or rum), whipped cream, and nutmeg.

2 eggs
1/4 c sugar
Dash salt
2 c milk
1 tsp rum extract
1/2 c whipping cream, beaten until stiff
Nutmeg

Beat eggs, sugar, and salt in top of double boiler or heavy pan. Add milk; mix and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture barely coats a metal spoon. Chill.

Stir in extract. Fold in stiffly beaten whipping cream. Pour immediately into glasses and add a dash of nutmeg.

You can also add a little bit of whisky to the mix but not too much. The excess may knock you out for three days.




Photo Courtesy of Black & White Scotch Whisky. Please drink responsibly. Happy Holidays.

It's Christmas time!

If you love art and also happen to love Westies then you should pay a visit to Candace Whittemore Lovely's website sometime. Candance is the talented artist whose work has been discussed on this blog before. Her paintings sell at big bucks at auctions and have, in some instances, been the object of desperate biding wars among collectors. They simply can't get enough. Well, Candace has come up with a solution for those who can not afford an original but still want to own a piece of it: Gliclée prints.

As she explains on her website, Giclée Prints are one of the most accurate methods of reproducing artwork today.

The technical part of making a Giclée print starts with a digital scan of the original art work .The digital scan is sent to the printer, where archival paper is fed into the printer and sprayed by six calibrated color streams of archival inks.

The result is a beautiful continuous tone print with the latest technology of printing hue, value, and intensity from an original work of art. After the Giclée is dry, it is then sprayed with protect coats for a life time of enjoyment.

"Christmas Westie Ornament" by Candace Whittemore Lovely. Reproduction (c.2008)

I never thought a Westie could be a theme collectors would care for...which leaves me wondering if I should start painting with the the nastiness I collected today when I rolled in the mud.

Official Statement

I would like to congratulate presidential candidate Barack Obama on his victory in these elections. It has been a very hard road and a lot of work for everyone. Unfortunately for us, Independents, the day before yesterday the American people decided the opposition candidate was better suited for the job.

I would also like to express my total and unconditional support for the new president-elect Barack Obama. I am very saddened with the result but I accept with great humility. We live in a great nation today faces a severe economic crisis affecting the whole world is that they are all united, we must support our new president ... Mr. Barack Obama.

Thanks to the thousands of volunteers and workers who gave their time to join us in the election campaign in the recent weeks. To all the American people and the readers who followed the events as they unfolded on my blog, thank you. Thank you very much and may God bless you all.

On the road with Simon

States I've visited so far during my presidential campaign:

Florida

Alabama

Georgia

Tennessee

Kentucky

Illinois

and still counting.

Simon The Westie "Because Change is Coming"...

Political Battleground

Presidential contenders Barack Obama, John McCain and Simon The Westie ignored polls showing the Democrat leading and urged voters on Sunday not to let either pessimism or complacency keep them from the polls on Nov. 4. The latest Gallup polls show Obama ahead 52 to 37 and a tiny 1 for Simon The Westie among likely voters. State surveys also suggest that Obama's path to the 270 electoral votes needed to win is closer than McCain's. But the campaigns were having none of it.

"I've been in a lot of campaigns. I know the momentum is there," McCain, the Republican candidate, told supporters at a rally in Pennsylvania.

In Colombus, Ohio, Obama, the Democrat, urged voters at his rally to go directly afterward to the polling places, which stayed open until 5 p.m. for early voting.

Less than 72 hours before Election Day, the three candidates were also shrugging off the polls, with McCain getting more agitated, Obama concerned about overconfidence and Simon The Westie claiming a late surge toward his party.

The canine candidate told ABC's This Week that he believes there is a "structural imbalance" in the polling that does not reflect what he sees as a big swing by independents toward his side.

He also said he sees close contests emerging in the key battleground states. Simon said he was in a position to win Florida, a traditionally Republican state that is critical to any presidential victory in the electoral votes.

"It's a state that I believe I can snatch from the Republicans and add to my coalition. If I win the state, it will be historic."

When asked about Election Day, the furry presidential runner preferred to leave space to any possible scenario. "I still don’t think we can say the certain what will happen until all the votes are in, but at this point I’m confident in saying that it looks likely a lot may change before Tuesday"

Available now!

Simon presidential T-shirts! Call to order yours now! And if you vote for Simon in November you get another one free*. That's right free! Come on. Hurry! They're selling like hot cakes! Call 1-800-SIMON now!**


*You MUST vote for Simon the Westie for this promotion to apply.

**T-shirts also available in Chihuahua and German Shepherd sizes.

Presidential Agenda

Simon the Westie is experienced.

Simon the Westie is knowledgeable.

Simon the Westie is your independent candidate, the guy to consider and a new alternative to the bipartisan choice.

I offer concrete solutions:

- Fix Social Security.

Under my government all pets will be able to apply for social security cards. The salary of service dogs such as K-9 officers or handicapped guides will not be taxed since they will be counted as dependants for the families they live with. This innovative measurement will bring more money into the people and motivate families who do not have pets to adopt one or more and take care of them.

- Stabilize the economy.

Pet service companies, dog food manufacturers as well as big and small supply retail stores will receive a generous tax cut. This will translate in an increase of cash flow that will generate more employment and reactivate the economy.

- Bring back family values.

Those who own pets will be able to leave office early on Fridays to go home and play with them. I have a plan to create playgrounds all over the country so every family in America will be able to take out their pets for a stroll in an environment of peace and safety. The result will be a much healthier society, much happier and more unified.

There are many more topics in my plan that will be revealed as we get closer to the elections. But for now, let's limit the discussion to the consideration of my proposals: Aren't they the brightest ideas you ever heard?

Simon for President

Dear Country Fellows,

After pondering for a long time about the current situation of our country and enormous challenges that we as Americans are facing, I have decided that I cannot be in anyway a stranger to the realities and the changes our society so desperately needs. Therefore, I have decided the best way to contribute to solving the problems is to take an active role in politics, go to Washington and rebuilt from scratch the political, economic and financial foundations of our great nation.

Yes, as you may have guessed by now, I am back and not as a common citizen, but as a presenter of solutions. It's official now: I am running for President. I signed up today at the local Petco as an independent candidate for the upcoming elections to be held in November 2008. But such an endeavor cannot be the product of one individual alone. It requires a wide consensus. Your participation will be vital and every vote will count, because conquering new spaces in the political arena is a challenge that requires the best of all of us.

I shall be presenting my plan of action in the upcoming days.

I am Simon The Westie and I approve this message.

(Petco did not have any affiliation with this political ad)

Hi, my name is paw.

Merry Christmas

or should I say "Nollaig chridheil huibh", if you happen to be a Scottish,

"Buone Feste Natalizie", if you happen to be an Italian;

"Boze Narodzenie", if you happen to be a Polish;

"Feliz Navidad", if you happen to be a Spaniard.

The table is ready and everybody is invited to join the celebration.

I want to extend my wishes for a peace filled Christmas to all the international audience who follow my posts and read me.

May this Christmas be the Merriest Christmas of all, filled with food, music and Tums! (I can have the crackers, you can have the crumbs)

Simon's Spellbinding Christmas Tree

Green, tall and with that distinctive smell of the Christmas of our childhood. Custom-ordered from Germany, lights designed in Italy, the Swarovski ornaments handcrafted in Austria.


I still can't believe so much beauty lies in front of me. I must be a blessed soul. A soul blessed by the mercy of the Lord.

Safari Chronicle

Lord McLeod's adventures are the ultimate thrill. I revisit his journal every time I can as a reminder that through my veins runs the blood of a true Westie.




Serengeti, Tanzania, Africa 1897.

"...but life had different plans for me, as it was proved later on, when my wealthy old master decided to take me along as his hunting companion on an African safari.

One day I started chasing rabbits and before long, discovered I was lost. Wandering about, I noticed a leopard heading rapidly in my direction with the intention of having me for lunch.

As you can imagine, I was scared to death. All I could think of at that time was "Oh, shag! I'm in deep doo-doo!". But common sense prevailed. If I wanted to survive I had to act quickly. I looked around and saw some bones on the ground close by, I immediately settled down to chew on the bones with my back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard was about to leap, I exclaimed loudly enough so he could hear me, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder if there are any more around here?"

When he heard this, the young leopard halted his attack in mid-strike, I could see the look of terror that came over him as he slinked away into the trees. "Whew!", I could hear him say, "That was close! That old Westie nearly had me!"

Well, that would have been all if it wasn't for a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree. Apparently, he figured he could put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So off he went. And I saw him heading after the leopard in order to catch up with him, spill the beans and strike a deal for himself with the leopard for his own protection.

I could see when the young leopard told him (I am good at reading lips from a distance) "Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!". The cat —who was irate, furious at being made a fool of— was coming at me at great speed with the monkey on his back. "What am I going to do now?" I asked myself, knowing there wasn't too much I could do to stop him other than by being smart and keeping on playing the game to my advantage. I made an effort to look collected. I calmly sat down with my back to my attackers, pretending I didn't see them, and just when I knew they got close enough to hear I shouted:

"Where's that monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!...."

Moral of this story:

Don't mess with the old dogs...age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery! Bullhockey and brilliance only come with age and experience.



(sigh) If I could have at least one third the smarts my ancestor had, I would have already caught that squirrel.

Spy Thriller (VII)

July 21, 2007

Scotland Yard Internal Memo

"For Your Eyes Only"

From: SO13, Anti-Terrorism Branch
To: SO10, Covert Operations

The presumption that squirrels may be working as spy agents for enemy countries has been recently leaked to the media. (Below is the link to one such story). Our branch is currently working on finding out who leaked such information. However, as the moment of writing these lines the source of the leak hasn't yet been identified.

In the meantime, our Department of Counter Information has managed very well in their mission: stop the news from spreading by dismissing the information. The Russian KGB believes it's a joke, the Israeli Mossad laughed at it while the CIA has regarded the idea as crazy and "non-sense".

Have all your agents overseas report immediately to their posts and instruct them to deny any involvement on squirrel hunting should they be captured behind enemy lines.

(NPR News, All Things Considered, July 20, 2007)

Spy Thriller (VI)

What were you doing...

...at this time on this day?

Commercial break

The mud I roll over on leaves my fur nasty and stinky.

That's why I use Dove products. They not only make my coat look great, white and shinny but also soft and manageable.

Dove. Because I am worth it.