Cupcake Madness Gets Creative

Ever since the women of Sex and the City touted the deliciousness of the the cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery (I, personally, am a fan of the banana cream pie), a cupcake craze has swept the nation. DC is proving no exception. From Georgetown Cupcake (rumored to be the subject of a new reality show...) to Hello Cupcake, Red Velvet and others, small cupcakes shops have been popping up all over our Nation's capital for several years now. It was high time they made a good competition - and a whole lot of fun - of the tasty treats. And so I present to you Hello Cupcake's "Design Your DC" Contest, courtesy of the Huffington Post.

UPDATED: Its official. Georgetown Cupcake has it's own reality TV show on TLC!

My New Heaven

My relationship with jello has not always been stellar. My mother went through an ill-advised jello phase in the mid-nineties the brought the likes of jello eggs, jello USAs, jello Christmas trees and various other sundries to our home. Wretch. I now, however, have a new reason (beyond Millie & Al's $1 favorites) to love this strange substance and it is all thanks to My Jello Americans. I really can't find a favorite. Each time I think I do, I discover something else. The Bacon & Eggs ranks high on the list, as do the watermelon slices, and who can say no to a strawberry rhubarb margarita?! So I bid you, explore! It's really a magical place.

Super Bowl Bacon Cheese Turtleburger

The newcomer to the zoo that is bacon-centric food experiments - please give a round of applause for the Bacon Cheese Turtleburger. Created the day the Saints made their first appearance at the big dance, these little guys are sure to be a fan favorite. Who doesn't love a lot of meat on Super Bowl Sunday?

Handmade ground beef patties are topped with sharp cheddar cheese and then wrapped in a bacon weave before the Hebrew Nationals are inserted as the heads, legs and tails. Place them on a rack, cover loosely with foil and then put them into an oven heated to 400 degrees. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the bacon is done - cooked through and a little crispy, but not too crunchy.

And voila! Perfectly cooked Bacon Cheese Turtleburgers.

Recipe, experimentation and photos courtesy of
MRD, the Marquis de Meat.