Celebration Friday

Happy Friday! Happy Cinco de Julio! TGIF!

This week I'm celebrating.... 

The precious gifts that got me through the heat.

A day off mid-week to celebrate our nations Birthday!

And like all birthday's c a k e is muy necessario!

I. Die. S'more cupcakes. Be still my heart! They were divine. And not hard to make. Here's what I did:

Crumble 1 package graham crackers to fine consistency 

(I used a ladle and just crushed away in a bowl)

Then add a 1/2 cup melted butter.

Put a tbsp of the graham cracker mixture at bottom on cupcake liner

Set aside

Now make up your favorite chocolate cake mixture of choice. 

I used dark chocolate cake by Duncan Hines.

Pour into cupcake liners with about 1/4 inch of space.

Now the fun part. For half of them I put reeses peanut butter cups in the center and for the other half dove milk chocolate.  (Side note: Reeses cups in a traditional s'more....To. Die. For!)

Now bake however instructions suggest.

Pull out cupcakes (Note: The centers will look undone but 

that's because of the ooey-gooey goodness middle)

Now it get's even more fun. Turn on the broiler! Put a tbsp of Marshmallow fluff on top of each cupcake. Now place them in the oven and keep a close eye.  Fluffier, fluffier, toasty, billowy m a g i c 

is happening.  Watch, watch....

Pull out.

Presto.

Wa-lah!

Glorious. Yummy. Ooey-gooey greatness.

Serve them warm!

What I did was make the cupcakes at my parents then when I got to the party stuck them in the oven on warm with foil on top so they wouldn't dry out. 

I saved the marshmallow magic for right before dessert time.

Cody seemed pretty happy with them. As did Papa who ate two (maybe three?) This will definitely become a 4th of July tradition!

And now with two days left to go I'm giddy anticipating v a c a t i o n. It's been a year since my last week off and boy am I ready! 

I may check-in from there with some pics but gonna see how it goes.

So here's to family & friends, new and old, l i f e, p l a y, b e a u t y, and God d a z z l i n g us in the big, fiery explosions of g r a c e but also the wee little flames that draw us out of the dark to look into the l i g h t.