a new year and a birthday treat

Happy February! January, my least favorite month, is finally over. I've never been a fan of January because it's usually cold, snowy and dreary outside. To me, January means taking down Christmas decorations and surviving the bitter cold. January is the kick-off to a new year, so it also means lots of projects and planning going on at work, and long hours! I'm excited that a new month has started... it just means we're that much closer to spring!

January's not all bad... it's a time to make new years resolutions and to think about all that you want to accomplish in the year ahead. It may seem a little late for new years resolutions, but some of the things I want to accomplish in 2010 are:

- Bake more often. I'm shooting for once a week, but with a demanding semester, every other week may be more realistic.
- Perfect a few cupcake and cookie recipes, but also try new, challenging recipes.
I'm on a mission to perfect my buttercream and chocolate buttercream frosting recipes.
- Share my baking successes and possible failures on my blog.
- Market and sell my baked goods.

We'll see how the things go. I'm looking forward to sharing my baking adventures with everyone!

Even though I dislike January, I was able to end the month with my first cupcake order! Last Sunday I made chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting for a friend of mine that I work with. The cupcakes were for her son's birthday, as well as hers - they share a birthday on February 1. I was happy with the results, and based on her feedback and what I heard around the office, they were tasty!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting