Cupcakes are the perfect little treat.  They offer up just the right amount of cake and icing in an easy to carry package… and no dishes afterwards!  Box mixes make it easy to make cupcakes just about any time, but the truth is making them from scratch doesn’t take much longer.  With a few simple ingredients you can be on your way to cupcake bliss.

Today we have a very easy recipe for you that is not your usual cupcake flavor.  Our Kahlua cupcake is flavored with Kahlua liqueur and just a bit of chocolate to take it over the top.  We topped this coffee flavored cupcake with Kahlua Buttercream.  The result is a handful of chocolate coffee goodness.

savour…  the perfect serving

Last night we held our second #NestChat twitter party of the year.  The February edition was lots of fun.  There was, as usual, an incredible amount of information shared and lots of recipes.  The Word of the Day was lasagna.  One lucky participant will receive a Today's Nest prize pack.  

Want to get a jump on some of your St Patrick's Day preparations?  There's a bunch of that in here, too.  Read through the transcript by clicking on the link below.  You can click any link inside the document to be redirected.  You can also click on the avatar to learn more about the commentor and give them a follow on Twitter.

I’ve often wondered how someone stumbled upon the perfect pairing of chocolate and mint.  These two, it seems, were made for each other.  Apart, they each enjoy good chemistry with a variety of other flavors, but when they come together it is sheer magic.  They are the Liz Taylor and Richard Burton of culinary couples.

Our treat for this week is a super simple chocolate tart paired with mint mascarpone cream.  I first made this mint mascarpone cream for Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake, but it truly has found a better home here.  Mint and chocolate are once again happily together on a single plate.

savour… perfect matches

Chances are if you are reading this you are a maker.  Perhaps you make photographs… or stationery.  Maybe you are a quilter or your thrill is driven by making food.  Whatever it is (and it is quite possibly many things) there is something about you that compels you to create.

Makers are a strange breed and sometimes misunderstood.  They are often distracted by the tiniest opportunity to make something else.  You may find them staring as if they’ve just gone catatonic.  They’re still there.  They’re just making... only in their mind. Makers routinely see things and instead of thinking, “Oh, cool!” they think “How can I make that?”

Those of us who are true makers make for the joy of making. Over the past few years I have made and shared many things here from roman shades to unbirthday cake, laundry care lists to classic lasagna.  Truth be told, I made way more than you see among these pages, but some stuff didn’t turn out so bueno.  Being a maker doesn’t mean you’ll always get it right.

I suppose there are varying degrees of “maker-ness”.  I happen to be on the nuttier side of the spectrum, believing that I can do just about anything.  Sometimes that’s good; sometimes not.  However, I would be willing to bet that many more of you would be on my end of the seesaw if you had the chance... if you weren’t weighed down with all the stuff that keeps you from unleashing your inner maker.  So to that end, I offer you...

Looking for a way to package up those little Valentine’s treats?  We’ve got you covered today with this simple printable box template that is just the right size.  You simply print the pdf from the link below.  Then just cut, fold, glue and decorate to suit your needs.

 I printed my box on white card stock, cut it out with scissors and used a craft knife for the holes.  I decorated the box before I folded and glued the end.  Then it was just a matter of filling it and closing the flaps.

The very best thing about this box is the versatility.  It’s great for your upcoming valentines, but it could be used for so many other things… print it on green paper for St. Patricks Day or load it up with jelly beans for Easter.

Got more ideas for it?  Share your ideas in the comments or send us a picture of your project.

It's that time again! 

Come join us on Wednesday, February 20 at 8pE 7pC for our monthly twitter chat party.  Use the hashtag #NestChat to be part of the fun.  This month there will be plenty of conversation around pasta, pie, and St Patrick's Day.  We'll have a virtual cocktail ready for you and, of course, the Word of the Day.  Tweet you there.

The sweetest day of the year is just around the corner.  We have a few new things to share with you in the coming days, but before we do check out some of the Valentine's Day projects and recipes we have featured in the past 3 years.  Here's a sample...

Here are a few posts to help you in your Valentine quest...

Handmade Valentines
Valentine Party
Homemade Truffles
Cupid's Crispies
Valentine Floral
Cheery Cherry Cupcakes