Margarita Cupcakes

These margarita cupcakes are a hit at every picnic.  Try them out this summer!

Margarita Cupcakes

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tsp lime zest 

1 cup vanilla almond milk 

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp tequila
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

 

Preheat oven to 350F.  Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with liners (recipe will make 12-16 cupcakes)
In a large bowl, mix together lime juice, lime zest, almond milk, oil, tequila, vanilla and sugar.
In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to lime mixture and stir until just combined.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.  Bake for 20-24 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.  Place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting 
Because the cupcakes already have a lot of flavor, I use regular vanilla frosting from the grocery store.  I like to add food coloring to jazz it up a bit.  I use colored sugar and a paper plate to make a ring around the rim of the cupcake to mimic salt.  Lastly, I place a dried piece of lime on top.  To make the lime, slice small triangular slivers from the lime I used to make the zest.  I like to place the lime slivers on a paper plate and let them sit out over night to dry out.  If you put fresh lime slivers on the icing, it will make a mess.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

DIY Gift Bag with Flowers

Gift bags and wrapping paper can get rather expensive, so why not show off your skills while saving a few dollars?  Plain gift bags can be found at your local dollar or craft store.  I purchased 2 white bags for a dollar.  This is a great project for kids and adults alike.  All you need are stamps (acrylic or rubber), ink, and embellishments (I used a paper rose, but this step is optional).

Supplies

• Acrylic or rubber stamps
• Ink
• Embellishments
• Glue
• Paper towels, scrap paper, or newspaper

Start with you bag on a flat surface.  You will also need to find some scrap paper or newspaper so you don't get ink on any surfaces. Select your stamps and ink colors.  I love flowers and have a favorite set of them that I used here.  I also decided to go with a cool color collection.

Start stamping one stamp and color at a time.  Stagger them all over the front and back of the bag (don't flip until the ink has dried so it doesn't smear).   

For an interesting look, stamp some of the flowers on the edges and bottom of the bag (make sure you have your scrap paper underneath for this step).












Keep adding stamps and color until you are satisfied.  I like to really layer them over top each other and off of the sides of the bag. 

Next, add embellishments.  I love making paper roses, and I had the perfect blue one to match the color scheme.   I simply glued it on using tacky glue.  Other fun ideas would be to add punches, chip board shapes, or lettering.  Keep bag flat when you glue on the embellishments and allow to dry.   

And that's it! Quick, easy, fun, and cheap!  This project takes about 15-30 minutes to complete and you can do more than one at a time.  You can make them for any occasion or holiday.  Add some bright tissue paper to the gift for a finishing touch.