Cupcake Day 2022: How to Celebrate the Sweetest Holiday

What could be more delightful than a cupcake? On Cupcake Day 2022, we will celebrate the sweetest holiday of the year! This is an amazing day to indulge in your favorite cupcake flavors and enjoy some delicious moments with friends and family.

History of Cupcakes

Cupcakes have been around for centuries, and their popularity has only grown in recent years. According to the National Cupcake Day website, the first cupcakes were actually made in England in the 17th century. These early cupcakes were more like what we would now call "muffins." They were not as sweet as today's cupcakes, and they were often served with a savory filling.

The modern cupcake as we know it began to take shape in the early 19th century. American cookbooks from this era contain recipes for cakes that are very similar to today's cupcakes. These early recipes often used ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and baking powder.

It wasn't until the late 19th century that cupcakes really began to take off in popularity. This is thanks, in part, to a woman named Mrs. Alexander Freeland. Mrs. Freeland was the author of a popular cookbook called The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. In her cookbook, she included a recipe for cupcakes that used baking soda instead of baking powder. This made the cupcakes lighter and fluffier, and they quickly became a favorite treat.

Today, cupcakes are more popular than ever. There are countless flavor combinations to choose from, and new decorating techniques are always being developed. Whether you prefer classic vanilla or something more adventurous, there is a cupcake out there for you. So, on Cupcake Day 2022, be sure to indulge in your favorite flavor and enjoy this delicious holiday!

Best Cupcake Spots in Pittsburgh, PA

If you're looking for the best cupcakes in Pittsburgh, PA, look no further than these dessert spots.

The Milk Shake Factory: With locations in Shadyside and Downtown, The Milk Shake Factory is a convenient spot for your cupcake fix. They offer classic flavors like Chocolate and Vanilla, as well as seasonal specials.

Oakmont Bakery: This family-owned bakery has been a Pittsburgh staple since 1986. They offer a wide selection of desserts, including gluten-free and vegan options.

Sweet Treats by Holly: This North Hills bakery is known for its over-the-top cupcakes, like the S'mores Cupcake and the Cookie Dough Cupcake. They also offer gluten-free options. Not sure what to order? Try their mini cupcakes to get a small size of each!

Most Popular Cupcake Flavors

When it comes to cupcakes, there are endless flavor possibilities. But some flavors are more popular than others. Here are some of the most popular cupcake flavors:

• Vanilla

• Chocolate

• Red Velvet

• Lemon

• Marble

• Carrot Cake

• Banana Bread

• Pumpkin Spice

• Gingerbread

Cupcakes are a delicious dessert that have been around for centuries. There are many different types of cupcakes, and each bakery has their own unique recipe. Pittsburgh is home to some amazing cupcake bakeries, and the flavors they offer are mouth-watering. Whether you’re a fan of chocolate or vanilla cupcakes, there’s a bakery in Pittsburgh that will satisfy your sweet tooth. What is your favorite type of cupcake? Let us know in the comments below!

Get Excited for National Donut Day 2022! | Frugal Fashionista

National Donut Day falls on June 3, 2022! This is a day to celebrate all things doughnut-related. Doughnuts are a delicious snack that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Whether you like glazed, powdered, or jelly-filled doughnuts, there's something for everyone on National Donut Day. In preparation for this special day, we have put together a list of the best donut shops in the country. Make sure to check them out and enjoy some delicious doughnuts on the first Friday of June (June 3rd)!

Top Donut Spots Across America

The Doughnut Plant - New York, NY

This iconic doughnut shop has been serving up fresh and delicious doughnuts since 1994. The Doughnut Plant offers a wide variety of flavors, including classic favorites like vanilla and chocolate as well as more unique flavors like matcha and tres leches. There are also vegan and gluten-free options available.

Voodoo Doughnut - Portland, OR

This quirky doughnut shop is known for its creative and unusual flavors. Some of their most popular flavors include the Bacon Maple Bar, which is topped with bacon and maple syrup, and the Memphis Mafia, which is filled with banana cream and topped with chocolate chips, peanut butter, and bacon.

Krispy Kreme - Winston-Salem, NC

Everyone knows when the bright red sign is on, they are HOT and READY! Que pool of drool. This national chain is best known for its original glazed doughnuts. Krispy Kreme has been making delicious doughnuts since 1937, and they now have locations all over the world. On National Donut Day, Krispy Kreme is offering a free doughnut to all customers.

Duck Donuts - Multiple Locations

Duck Donuts is a franchise that specializes in made-to-order doughnuts. You can choose your own toppings and flavors, and the doughnuts are always fresh and delicious. Duck Donuts has locations across the United States, so be sure to check them out on National Donut Day!

Cider Belly Doughnuts - Albany, NY

This local doughnut shop is known for its delicious cider doughnuts. Cider Belly offers a wide variety of flavors, including classic favorites like apple and cinnamon as well as more unique flavors like raspberry lime. Be sure to check out Cider Belly on National Donut Day!

Free Donuts?

On National Donut Day, many shops across the country offer free doughnuts to customers. Krispy Kreme is one national chain that provides a free doughnut to all customers on this special day. Duck Donuts is another company that participates in National Donut Day by giving away one free donut with any purchase. (Free donuts only at participating locations!)

Top Donut Flavors in America

• Apple Cider

• Bacon Maple Bar

• Banana Cream

• Chocolate

• Glazed

• Jelly Filled

• Matcha

• Original Glazed

• Raspberry Lime

• Tres Leches

• Vanilla

Stop by your local Dunkin Donuts or another donut shop to get a dozen delicious donuts to celebrate National Donut Day! Do you have a favorite doughnut shop that you like to visit? Let us know in the comments below!

Donut Lover? Check out these Frugal Fashionista Donut Collections!

"Uncork the Alleghenies ": A Fun-Filled Event for Wine Lovers

Looking for a fun wine-related event to attend this year? Look no further than the 11th Annual Uncork the Alleghenies wine festival!

Uncork The Alleghenies is back! This year, the 11th Annual Uncork-the Allegheny’s will be coming to Blair County Convention Center on Saturday March 12th from 12pm – 10pm. With free souvenir wine glasses for everyone who attends as well as reusable shopping bags and caricatures handed out by our talented artists during lunchtime or dinner time if you want them too (depending upon availability).

This event has everything that makes these types of events so entertaining: food samples & tastes; live entertainment including music performed by vocalists while guests enjoy themselves at photo booths with props ranging anything imaginable—it doesn't stop there though because wine seminars will give wine lovers the opportunity to taste wine and learn about wine production from local wine experts.

Tickets are now available on their website and we have a wine lover's special for those of you who purchase tickets

Looking for the perfect gift for your special wine lover? Look no further! Frugal Fashionista has an array of gifts from handmade tumblers and wine glasses to wine glass holders and corkers! See customer favorites here!

Ideas for Leftover Valentine's Day Chocolates

Valentine's Day is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. People spend a lot of money on their loved ones, and as such, they might have excess chocolate. If you receive some chocolates from somebody special during Valentine's Day and don't want to eat them all yourself, here are some ideas for leftover valentine's day chocolate:

Share with Family & Friends!

Leftover valentine's day chocolate can be shared with family members or friends who didn't get any chocolates that year. You can give them out as small gifts or just hand them out to neighbors or people who pass by your house.

Donate it!

Leftover valentine's day chocolate can be donated to local food banks or shelters, which will gladly take care of them for you. You know the chocolates are going to people in need and won't just be thrown away when you give them away.

Use it in a Recipe!

Leftover valentine's day chocolate can be used as an ingredient in other recipes. There are tons of web pages that offer delicious recipes that use chocolate, so experiment until you find something yummy!

In conclusion, leftover valentine's day chocolate can always find a purpose! If you want to get rid of it fast, just give it to somebody else who might want or need valentines day chocolates. If you're going to eat them all yourself anyways, try using leftovers for other recipes. Otherwise, don't be afraid to donate valentine's day chocolates for a good cause.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bacon

Bacon is a topic that has been debated for years. Some people love it and some people hate it. There are even those who are in the middle and can take it or leave it. But one thing is for sure – bacon is here to stay. In this blog post, we will discuss everything you ever wanted to know about bacon! We will cover topics such as bacon facts, bacon recipes, and even how to cook bacon perfectly every time! So whether you are a die-hard fan of bacon or just want to learn more about this popular meat, keep reading!

Bacon is a type of pork that is cured and smoked. It is typically sliced thin and cooked until crispy. Bacon has a salty, smoky flavor and a slightly chewy texture. It is most commonly used as a breakfast meat, but it can also be used in salads, sandwiches, or appetizers.

History of Bacon

Bacon was first introduced to the world by the Romans. They would cure pork bellies with salt and then hang them to smoke over an open fire. In the United States, bacon became popular during the 1920s when it was served at speakeasies and nightclubs. Today, bacon is one of the most popular meats in the world!

There are many different types and flavors of bacon available on the market, including smoked bacon, Canadian bacon, pepper bacon, and turkey bacon. However, the most popular type of bacon is regular or streaky bacon.

Bacon is high-fat meat, but it is also a source of protein and iron. A three-ounce serving of cooked bacon contains about 18 grams of fat, six grams of protein, and 0.68 milligrams of iron.

Recipes

Bacon can be cooked in many different ways, including frying, baking, grilling, and microwaving. The most common way to cook bacon is by frying it in a skillet over medium heat until it is crispy.

Here are some delicious recipes that include bacon:

- Bacon-Wrapped Dates: Wrap pitted dates in bacon, secure with toothpicks, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes.

- Bacon Avocado Toast: Top toast with sliced avocado and crumbled bacon. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

-Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich

-Chocolate Covered Bacon

- Bacon Cheese Dip: Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions, cooked bacon bits (or chopped fresh bacon), garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce (optional), salt to taste. Serve warm or cold!

How To Cook Bacon Perfectly Every Time

Bacon is easy to cook, but it can be a little tricky. There are many different methods for cooking bacon, including frying in a skillet on the stovetop or baking in the oven. The best way to get a satisfying crunch of bacon every time is by using an iron skillet over medium heat and flipping frequently so that both sides brown evenly without sticking!

When you're finished with your bacon recipe, make sure you save any leftover grease from cooking because it makes great gravy! Grease has many uses around the house: lubricating squeaky hinges on doors/windows; greasing wheels of furniture that gets moved often like office chairs; as well as being used as fuel (as long ash has been removed) for lamps or candles.

Bacon is a delicious meat that can be cooked in many different ways and served with almost any meal. Whether you are making bacon-wrapped dates, chocolate-covered bacon, or just eating it straight from the package – there's something here for everyone!

Instant Pot Homemade Vegetable Broth from Veggie Scraps

Recently I decided to experiment with making my own vegetable broth from some veggie scraps I had been saving over the last few months. With the change of seasons, temps have dropped and I’m not sure about you, but when a chill hits the air it signals a craving for hearty comforts foods. As some of you may already know, I make food for our lovely dog Lincoln. If you’re interested in my recipe and process, you can read about it here.

A few months ago, while prepping the veggies for dog food it hit me that I could possibly get a 2nd and 3rd use out of some of the scraps. It’s typically more cost-effective to buy the larger 5lb bags of whole carrots and then cut them myself. I remove the tops of the carrots and had normally been putting them directly into our compost (2nd purpose). This time I placed those tops in a freezer-safe bag and added to it each time I had more veggie scraps. It took about 2 months to fill two gallon-sized bags with remnants of carrots, celery, and scallions that were used for other meals and/or dog food.

I’m definitely not the master of broth making, but here was my process. I only used one of the gallon-sized bags and my instant pot was completely full. I placed the veggie scraps in frozen. I added 10 cups of water to the pot, 2 bay leaves, a tablespoon of turmeric and a tablespoon of minced garlic. Lock the lid in place and put the seal to closed. Set Instant Pot to 20 minutes of manual high pressure. After 20 minutes allow a natural pressure release. Once this was complete I allowed the pot to cool. I removed the veggies scraps to a colander and placed that colander over a pot as the veggies still had a great deal of broth inside of them. Especially the celery. I applied some pressure with a wooden spoon and got a significant amount of broth. I finally strained the broth and placed in large canning jars. There was enough broth to completely fill 3 large jars and still have a little leftover. Later in the week I used this broth to make vegetable soup and felt extra proud of myself for making the broth as well. Keep in mind this is a very mild broth. Once I made soup, I added salt and other spices to get more depth of flavor. After this first experiment, I believe next time I will add plenty of spices to the veggies to form a more flavorful broth. The veggies that were used to make this broth were then placed in our compost (3rd purpose).

Frozen Vegetable Scraps

IP filled with frozen veggies and water

Veggies after they had cooked

Colander placed over bowl to capture more broth

Strain broth and place in jars or containers

Finished product

This really couldn’t have been any easier. It was incredibly easy to save scraps. This could be made on the stove, in a crockpot or with a pressure cooker. If you give this a try to make sure to comment below and let me know how yours turned out. As always thank you for visiting the blog! If you enjoyed this post be sure to click the little heart button below and leave a comment so we know that you were here. Thanks again!

Life Hack! Simple Freezer Storage

Here’s a quick and amazingly simple life hack for you.

When I find a good price on ground beef I buy the larger packs, and will separate and freeze what I won’t be using right away.

It’s just my husband and myself that I am cooking for so I freeze approximately 1lb portions which works perfectly for most meals for us. I don’t overthink this by weighing anything. I just eyeball it based on the total package weight. I use a quart size ziplock bag and add in the ground beef. I try to equally disperse the meat inside the baggy and then I smush the bag down with my hand until the meat is in a thin even layer inside the bag. I would say the beef is less than 1/2 inch thick. I date the baggies and put them in the freezer. You might be saying, ok so why is this a life hack? Well….. because the meat is in a thin layer these stack nicely in the freezer rather than trying to fit odd shaped square or oval pieces into the freezer. More importantly when you are ready to use the meat it thaws very quickly. This is ideal for anyone who is responsible for cooking dinner. Not many of us have the time to plan well in advance every meal. Anything that is simple and fast is a plus as far as I can see. I have also seen images of some refrigerators that have little guidelines on the bottom of the freezer. I assume that these bags could be stood up on their sides and held in place by those little ridges if your freezer has them.

As always thank you for visiting our blog. If you enjoyed this post be sure to click the little heart and the bottom and leave a comment below. If you have a life hack you use and would like to share please feel free to comment below. If you give this life hack a try and find it helpful please comment below.

See how little space these take up! Very convenient.

This makes for easy thawing 😊

Instant Pot Homemade Dog Food

DIY dog food is becoming more and more popular. I joined that trend over a year ago, and take pride in what we feed our dog. I’m not going to lie, it takes time to prepare and definitely takes a toll on the wallet, but our dog is like our child. We love her dearly.

I suppose I should offer some background information on Lincoln. I’ll warn you now. If you decide to follow my blog, you’ll definitely hear about her often. What can I say she stole our hearts, so why not share her cuteness with you? Lincoln is a lab/boxer mix. She’s a rescue dog. She actually came from Villalobos. You may recognize that name from the popular Animal Planet tv show, Pit Bulls and Paroles. She’s a great dog, however she’s riddled with allergies. We had been researching cooking methods, recipes, etc but were lingering on officially switching over for quite awhile. For me the final decision came after watching a documentary called Dog Fooled on Netflix. If you have any animals at all it’s worth watching. You may be disgusted and infuriated after watching, but it’s eye opening.

I would say the pros of making your own dog food are simple. You have more control over what your dog is consuming. You don’t have to trust labels that are misleading, and falsely believe that what you are purchasing is good for your dog when it may possibly contain harmful ingredients. It also forms a deeper bond. You’re preparing their meal just like any other family member.

The cons of making your own dog food in my opinion are pretty straight forward as well. It’s time consuming. Like cooking anything else, you are chopping and prepping pounds of ingredients at once and then cooking them. This took hours and hours when I was cooking everything on the stove. The instant pot has made the process easier. It still takes time though. The other con is that it can be pricey. For anyone that has attempted clean eating, you know it’s expensive. It shouldn’t be so pricey to buy vegetables, but this is the world we live in.

Now let me cut to the chase. Below are the ingredients and instructions for the dog food I prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

3 large chicken breasts (you can substitute chicken thighs if you wish. There was a better deal on breasts today, so I went with those)

4lbs carrots diced

5lbs sweet potatoes cubed

4lbs green beans (I have been buying frozen as it’s more cost effective)

Just recently I have started to mix in riced cauliflower to her food. I wanted to slowly introduce this as I wasn’t sure if it would make her gassy. So far there have been no issues.

These are the ingredients minus the chicken which is cooking in the instant pot.

Here’s a glimpse of where the cooking happens. Everything will be made in the instant pot which makes for easy cleanup.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place chicken breast inside instant pot on rack. Add 1 cup of water to bottom of instant pot. Lock lid into place and push seal closed. Cook times seem to vary greatly for instant pot directions. I like for her chicken to be tender and pretty much fall apart when I’m cutting, so I cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and then do a quick pressure release. Once the chicken is done, I remove it and allow to cool on cutting board before chopping. Now fill pot to full level with chopped veggies, plus one cup of water, and cook on high pressure for 7 min followed by a quick pressure release. I usually have to make 3 batches of veggies. As each individual batch cooks and is removed from the instant pot, I pour it into a strainer to remove the extra fluid. Once it’s cooled enough I have this HUGE tupperware bowl that I dump everything into and stir until all ingredients are mixed well. I then separate into smaller batches and place in freezer safe containers until we need them.

Because this is incredibly lean I also make eggs which we add at each feeding and sometimes the occasional apple. She LOVES apples.

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Ladies and Gents… Here is the finished product.

I am NOT a licensed professional. Please consult your veterinarian before following this recipe, as just like humans all dogs are different and may respond differently to different diets. So far this diet works well for Lincoln. Her coat is soft and shiny and I have better knowledge of what she’s consuming.

If you’re interested in shopping for an instant pot I found good deals on Amazon currently. You can click the image below to see what they have to offer. I could go on and on about how much I love my instant pot, but I’ll save that for another blog post. If you make your dogs food and use a different recipe, please feel free to share your recipe in the comments. As always thank you for visiting the blog. :)

Adventures With My Instantpot

After a great deal of contemplation, I finally bit the bullet, and purchased an InstantPot approximately 3 months ago.  For those of you that are saying what the heck is an InstantPot??? It’s an electronic pressure cooker.  The version I purchased has several features, and can be used to sauté, make yogurt, and slow cook among other things.  

So far I absolutely LOVE it!  I decided on the 8 quart InstantPot Duo, and purchased it at Boscovs.  I was able to use a coupon and rewards dollars, making the purchase even more exciting.  (Go ahead feel free to begin the dork comments).  

The purpose of this particular post is to not only share my excitement of InstantPot ownership, but to share my experience of preparing a whole roasting chicken in an extremely simple way.  

This was my first attempt with a whole chicken, and in my opinion, it turned out great.   

My steps were are listed in order below.  

1. Remove chicken from packaging.  Rinse.  Place on plate or tray and pat dry with paper towel.   

2. After patting dry apply spices liberally.  In this case I used salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme and rosemary.

3. Flip chicken over and apply spices to other side of chicken.  

4. Turn instant pot onto saute function.  Add approximately 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to pan.  InstantPot will say HOT on the front screen when ready.   

5. Once InstantPot is hot, place chicken breast side down in pan to brown.  This only took about 3 minutes.  Then flip chicken and sear underside.   

6. Once seared I removed the chicken and sat on a plate.  I then added 1 cup of chicken stock to the pan and with a spoon scraped the tasty bits off the bottom.  I didn’t want any of those pieces to burn while the chicken cooked, so I thought it would be best to deglaze.  This only takes a few seconds.   

7. Add chicken back to instant pot.  Lock lid and set button to sealed. 

8.  After some online research I decided on a cook time of 35 minutes.  This was based on advice of multiplying the weight of chicken by 5.5.

9.  Once the 35 minutes was up I let the InstantPot do a natural release.  And that’s it.  Take chicken out and enjoy! 

It may seem like there are a lot of steps, but all the preparation took just a few minutes.  You can walk away and work on other things during the cook time.  Not to mention the clean up is simple.  I will be sharing other recipes as I continue my InstantPot adventures.