Chocolate Cupcakes with Italian Meringue Buttercream

I've been on a desserts streak lately, and my sweet tooth has been out of control. Pies, chocolate bars, ice cream, macarons...And I already made cupcakes earlier this week...

It was raining yesterday, complete with blah-gray skies, and I had an open schedule with free time to do a whole lotta nothing. But you know what fixes rainy-blah-days like this? Baking.

To really make a day out of it, I also decided to clean out my pantry. I figured it was time for me to clean out what was lurking in baskets and tupperwares...half-full bags of chocolate chips, past-their-prime canisters of baking powder and cornstarch, barely used 2-lb bags of powdered sugar...I guess I've been buying some, using a little, stashing it away, and forgetting about it. Then, I'd buy a new bag. And, apparently, this happens a lot...

So, in order to reduce my pantry clutter, to cure my ugly-weather blues, and to sooth my aching sweet tooth, I baked my favorite Chocolate Cupcakes and whipped up Italian Meringue Buttercream in two flavors, peanut butter and Mexican chocolate!

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

My sister Jessica came over for St. Patrick's Day weekend, and I was so excited because it's been a looong time since we last had a Lazy Sunday. We did a little shopping, with my sister picking up a few things to decorate her new apartment and me getting a few World Market goodies for my blog. (I get so excited shopping for plates and glasses...That's totally normal, right?...)

Afterwards, we headed over to Nugget Market for beer, pizza, and ice cream. (Guinness, of course!) My sister also asked if we could pick up supplies for baking cupcakes, so that she could bring some to work the next day. Apparently, she'd been talking up my dessert-making skills to her boss and promised to bring my (semi-)famous carrot cake. (Thanks, Sis. No pressure.)

Carrot cake is such a classic, age-old dessert, and so many chefs/bakers have their own variations. Many of those recipes get passed down from grandmothers/mothers/etc.. This is the version that I love to make! Plus, it's been made into cupcakes for easier coworker-distribution. ;)

Cooking with Mom: Goat Caldereta

Last weekend, I found out that a few of my mom's sisters and my cousins would be in town and that we'd be having ourselves a little potluck. I wanted to make something really special for them, so I asked my mom to come along on a trip to the Asian market. Shopping with her never fails to inspire. And, right on cue, what do I see as soon as I walk into the meat section? Goat meat. It's not something that I see every day, so the proverbial lightbulb went off. This. I want this goat. I still remember the very first time that I ever ate goat. I was 8 years old, and while having dinner at my grandpa's house in the Philippines, my Auntie Margie gave me some of what I thought was beef caldereta...

She cautiously asked me, "Do you like the...beef...stew?"

I nodded my head, blissfully ignorant, "Mm hmm!"

"Yeah?? Good...'Cause it's GOAT!"

Whaaaaa....

So after processing that information, I realized...it was still pretty damn good. Caldereta became one of my favorites, and it's one of many classic dishes influenced by the Spanish rule in the Philippines. ("Caldera" translates to "cauldron" in Spanish.) Originally, it's a tomato-based stew, so to make my "Potluck Special", Mom helped me create this take on traditional Goat Caldereta.