Photo from J-Rose who also emailed us about the Target dollar bins.

We received this email from ATC Reader Kerry…

“Check out your local Target’s dollar spot…they have cupcake items such as kitchen towels, pot holders, spatulas with cupcakes on them – I would have taken a picture but I didn’t have my camera.  They have their Valentine stuff out but no cupcake theme this year – sigh!!!”

Thanks for the heads up Kerry. I picked up a few of their cupcake things myself.

I recently did my first ATC interview with Kimi of “Megan Hearts Baking”.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself? (Name, location, occupation etc):

I live in Long Beach, CA with my husband, Steve (recently married….one month ago exactly!)
 
 – How exciting! Congrats on your one month anniversary!

2. How popular are cupcakes in California?

They are found everywhere: birthday parties, holiday functions, work potlucks, cooking shows, block parties, etc.  They are enjoyed by people of all ages! I even had cupcakes as the dessert at my wedding last month :) Red Velvet are the best!

– So true! Nothing beats a great Red Velvet Cupcake!
 
3. When did you start working on the Megan Hearts Baking book?

We have been working on this book for over a year.
 
4. How did you come up with the idea for the book? 

Megan Fate (the real MEGAN who the book is writen about) is someone I admire and cherish! She is someone who models selflessness, acts with humility, pursues joy, and bleeds passion. She lives life to its fullest, loving adventure, learning from mistakes, and empowering others to pursue their dreams and goals. One night, during a high school youth event, I looked at my sister and said, “Wow! Megan lives a compelling life! She walks in confidence, never afraid to be herself! If more girls were like Megan, we’d have a different type of community here in Long  Beach.” At that moment, I ran up to Megan and told her “I’m writing a book and you’re the main character.” Within an hour, I had the entire book series figured out….with a list of adventures I couldn’t wait for Megan to share with readers!

*********Also, Baking is an important activity for young girls to learn because it creates community, allows for creativity, and builds a sense of accomplishment. Baking is something girls can tangible do at any age….an activity they can participate in with the help of their family and friends. We serve one another (look beyond just our personal needs) with baking….birthday and wedding cakes, Christmas cookies, get-well banana bread, heart shaped Valentine candies, etc. With baking comes mathematics, detail orientation, patience, endurance….which results in a sense of accomplishment. Everytime we try something new, we get to know ourselves better. We figure out what we like and don’t like, what we are scared of and what is comfortable, and what we want to pursue. Megan Hearts addresses mistakes and the fact that they WILL happen (they are inevitable). There is personal growth and development through mistakes…that is if, as my dad puts it, “we always get up everytime we fall.” 
 
5. What advice would you give a writer who wanted to start writing their own book?

First of all, dream big! If you want to write a book….write a book! Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Secondly, make sure you study up and research the subject or theme you want to talk about. Third, enjoy the subject you want to write about!
 
6. How often do you eat cupcakes?

I usually eat about two a month.
 
7. What is your earliest cupcake memory?

For my sixth birthday, my mom made fun-fetti cupcakes with pink frosting:) DELICIOUS:)
 
8. What does the future hold for Megan Hearts Baking?

Megan Hearts Baking is the first book in the Megan Hearts Series:) Each book will introduce/educate young girls on different hobbies, sports, etc. The second book is Megan Hearts Guitar.

– I can not wait to read the next book in the series! Thank you Kimi for the sneak peak of “Megan Hearts Baking”, and letting me do this interview with you.

Kimi was kind enough to give me a sneak peak at her new book “Megan Hearts Baking”.

It will be the first in a series of Megan Hearts books which is aimed at girls 5 – 9 years of age to encourage them the explore new hobbies (obviously one is baking) and making goals.

This first Megan Hearts book introduces us to Megan and her , I guess you could call it – dilemma – Megan has a birthday party to go to and wants to bring her favorite treat – cupcakes! (She’s not alone there with the cupcakes). But her last go at baking adventure didn’t go so well…leaving her fearful to step foot in the kitchen again.

Megan and her mom learn how to bake cupcakes together – from finding a recipe, making a shopping list, learning kitchen safety, understanding measuring utensils, decorating the cupcakes, and sharing the tasty treats with friends and family. Megan gains confidence by learning from her mistakes…experiences joy as she discovers her own strengths and abilities…and develops a love for the sweetest treat of all – learning!

At the end of the book are biographies of real people that have used their passion for baking to open cupcake shops around the United States. The following cupcake shops: Magnolia Bakery (New York City), Sprinkles (Texas), Sugarbliss (Chicago), Cake and Art (West Hollywood), Stef from Cupcake Project (she has her fingers in everything these days!), and Frosted Cupcakery (Long Beach, CA) are the business that were interviewed and given a full page biography. The reason for these bios are to empower and inspire young girls to dream big!

I read the book with my 6 year old daughter Kinley and we both loved it! It was beautifully illustrated. Kinley related herself to Megan throughout the book. I think that this is a must read for every school age girl. The message Kinley got from “Megan Hearts Baking” was to never give up.

The book will be available from Thanksgiving on the Megan Hearts site as well as Amazon.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, spent lots of time with your sweetie and ate lots of cupcakes of course! I wanted to show you guys this little cupcake plush by Jelene. They are only $10.00 and they are super cute! I have one and I love it.

“Super cute baby cupcake in small size. The cupcake design is printed on cotton material with either a felt or fleece backing, depending on the stock I have.

These dolls are great for the cupcake lover! Makes a great gift for an plush collector too!

Measures approx. 5″x5″ – (also see my large cupcakes too!!)”

Can be found here. :D

Also, you should run on over to your local Target. All cupcake items are 10% (could be more in the next few days) off! The target I went to didn’t have much, they seem to sell out of the stuff pretty fast but you might be able to get a good deal! :)

So I was sitting at work on Monday morning trying to ease myself into the day by reading Women’s Day Magazine. Well, reading might be stretching it. To be completely honest I was perusing the pictures. None the less, my browsing totally paid off with a couple three sweet Valentine’s Day recipes that I just cannot deny are P-E-R-F-E-C-T!

The first of these marvelous morsels is the Cupid Cupcake, and yes it is just as adorable as it sounds, take a look! Now if that guy is not cute I don’t know what is. The recipe for this delectable dude can be found here. The Cupid Cupcake is sure to be a thrill among any and all who believe that, “Love is like Oxygen. Love is a many splendid thing-love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love,” according to Christian (Ewan McGregor’s character in Moulin Rouge).

The next recipe makes me wonder, would a rose by any other name smell just as sweet? I, like Juliet, believe yes! Furthermore, these Rose Petal Cupcakes are super-sweet with their pastel pink frosting and sugared petal adornment. They offer an air of sophistication, but don’t be skittish, they are easy as one two three with Women’s Day’s recipe. Don’t take my word for it, head on over the the site and find out for yourself!

The final recipe that caught my eye combines a surprise treat with the classy red velvet recipe. Don’t be tricked by their simplistic title, the Red Velvet Cupcakes are an example of complex flavor structure at its best. These beautiful little cakes are comprised of a red velvet batter, which is host to a surprise hug (of the Hershey’s variety), and are topped off with a delectable cream cheese frosting. Makes my mouth water just typing it up! You can garnish the top with any heart-decor to make the stunning statement, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye,” by Antoine de

Saint-Exupery.

Here is wishing you good luck with whatever sweet endeavor you set forth to accomplish this Valentine’s season. More importantly, here is wishing you love, in all it’s many shapes, sizes, and forms, I hope your day is magical!

Most Sincerely,
Maggie Ann.

(All photo’s courtesy of Women’s Day Magazine. Photos 1 & 2 are cited to Charles Schiller and photo 3 to Anastassios Mentis.)