3 Ingredient Strawberry & Champagne Cupcakes with Icing

I know I've been doing a lot of cupcakes recently but I just had to share because these cupcakes are special.  Why are they special, you ask?  Well, because they are made with just three ingredients!  Three ingredients?!  Yes!  Well... sort of.  First you have the sweet strawberries, next you have the bubbly champagne, and then you have... a box of cake mix.  Alright, alright.  So I used the word "ingredient" loosely.  Either way, these cupcakes are super easy and they are perfect for ringing in the New Year!  The consistency of the cupcake is soft and fluffy - like delicate angel food cake.  The pink champagne icing is sweet with just the right hint of champagne.  There's no need to add eggs, oil, etc. that box mixes typically call for because the champagne bubbles cause the cake mix to rise in the oven!  If you would prefer a nonalcoholic variation, any carbonated beverage works just as well!

On a totally unrelated note, I just had to quickly share that my husband got me a new camera for Christmas!  This is my third post using the camera and I am so excited to learn more about it as I use it.  Thank you, baby!

Happy New Year!

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Eggnog French Toast

I had a little leftover eggnog from Christmas with an expiration date of 1/1/2013 and I decided to use it up with breakfast this morning.  It's a simple yet delicious twist on your classic French toast.  

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Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini & Penne Rigate

Need a meal that's just as delicious and satisfying as it is fast and easy to prepare?  Well, this recipe is for you!  It is one of my family's favorites meals and can be made in 15 minutes!  Serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine.  

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Top Recipes of 2012

What an amazing year 2012 has been!  In light of the New Year, I wanted to share Cooking Creation's 9 most popular Recipes of 2012.  Here's to many more years of enjoying and sharing food experiences with you!  

1. Blooming Bacon Cheddar Ranch Bread  Featured on front page of Aol and Huffington Post
2. Italian Rigatoni Pie  Won the BetterRecipes.com "Italian" recipe contest
3. Cajun Chicken Alfredo
4. Red Velvet Fudge
5. Gemelli with Chicken & Vegetables in Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce
6. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Biscuit Bowls Featured on Food.com
7. Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Crushed Doritos 
8. Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies 
9. Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Nutella-Kahlua Ganache and Ferrero Rocher Garnish Featured on Food.com

Eggnog Cupcakes with Kahlua Buttercream Frosting

Only 2 more days until Christmas!  Are you prepared?  My gifts are all wrapped and I am anxiously counting down the days until I get to share them with my loved ones.  I have also been doing quite a bit of baking recently but have had very little time to blog about it because of the craziness the holidays bring.  

While I was at the grocery store the other day, I spotted some eggnog and couldn't resist throwing it in my cart.  As much as I love my eggnog, and I mean love, I always end up wasting some of it.  To avoid such a terrible thing from happening again this year, I came up with a couple of recipes.  One was eggnog french toast (recipe to come), which was so good!  I then decided to make these tasty cupcakes.  What a delicious and fun way to use up leftover eggnog!    

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Baked Cod with Peppery Ritz Cracker Topping

Busy, busy, busy!  You know those times when it's hard to catch your breath in between all the hustle and bustle?  These past two weeks have especially been stressful for us and I have had to pull out quite a few quick and easy meals for my family.  This dish is perfect for those crazy nights.  It's super simple to make and can be done in under 30 minutes.  Oh, and it's delicious!  The crunchy, buttery, peppery cracker topping is a wonderful compliment to the delicate fish.  I served this with green beans from the garden and twice-baked potatoes.  

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Blood Orange & Spiced Brown Sugar Upside-Down Cake

The crimson color I discovered after slicing into my first blood orange was intriguing.  Blood oranges are a deliciously sweet and the beautiful color isn't just "for show" - it happens to be an antioxidant.  They are even higher in antioxidants than normal oranges!  You'll start to see them appear in the grocery stores around December.  I decided to pick up a few and incorporate them in a dessert.  I love how the sweet and tangy orange complements the spiced brown sugar cake.

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