Take Out Tuesdays: Cocktails edition

New Years Eve is a time to celebrate the past events of 2013 and say cheers to the new.  We countdown the clock til midnight, enthusiastically ready for a new beginning. Maybe, you are looking for a fresh start on your journey to weight loss or are trying to get back into the dating world. Or perhaps you are simply hoping to place less money in the swear jar. Maybe you want to make a better effort towards being on time or  arrange a plan to travel the world...whatever your resolution is, you toast at midnight to "another go at it." 

My resolution is for Creatively Lu  to be a place for you to come to realistically achieve all that you want. I thoroughly believe that it is you, yourself, who withholds the power to do great things. Every single moment up to now has prepared you for better moments to come.

Creatively Lu is a creative outlet for you to come to feel inspired to make ordinary things extraordinary. 

On Mondays, this means taking one of your routine meals and adding a little more oomph to it.  That being said, I don't expect any of us to debone ducks and become Julia Childs every night for dinner. This January, I will dedicate "Make it Monday" to easy, healthy meals. Meals in which are easy to store, can brown-bagged for lunch, and are freezer friendly. I want you to better your life this upcoming year and so I want the meals to feel as easy as picking up takeout. 

Starting next Tuesday, I will be running January's "Tone It Tuesdays" series, in which I will cover healthy workout plans, energy-boosting playlists, and other healthy tips. 

The Wordless Wednesdays series  will continue to share inspiring photos. These photos are chosen  and shared by the Creatively Lu community. So please continue to message me on the Creatively Lu FB page, tweet @Creatively Lu on Twitter, and email me: creativelylu@yahoo.com. Photos will be shared on the Creatively Lu Instagram account every Wednesday at 3pm. 

Thursdays will remain Thrifty Thursdays with DIY crafts, beauty routine tips, and other helpful, thrifty tips. 


 





Friday Favorites will continue to feature interviews with some of my favorite companies, musicians, blogs, people etc. I will also devote one Friday a month to a list of my favorite things such as beauty products. 

The weekends will remain Weekend Adventures with tips on how to unwind and fully create a beautiful life in your downtime. And as always, every post will end with an inspirational quote. 

I hope that you all have a wonderful New Year's  filled with lots of celebrating. Below are some healthy drinking tips for your New Year's party tonight, as well as a Champagne Mojito recipe perfect to make up with your leftover champagne.

Cheers to a healthy and happy New Year! Tonight, I will be toasting to you all! Below is your daily dose of inspiration...

*To follow the Creatively Lu posts daily,  "like" the FB page .

* Follow @Creatively Lu on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Make It Mondays: Champagne Countdown Cupcakes

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Whether sipping on mimosas at a baby shower or toasting to a fabulous New Year with champagne flutes, champagne is synonymous with celebrating.  This New Year's, I wanted to take celebrating with champagne to the next level, by incorporating it as an ingredient for baking. From the frosting to the cupcake itself, I added in hints of champagne. The cupcakes are absolutely delicious and are very light. They have a smooth, very pleasant original cupcake taste with hints of orange and sweet Champagne.And to kick your New Year decor up a notch, I organized the cupcakes in the shape of a clock, as a sweet way to count-down to 2014.

 

Champagne Cupcakes, adapted from Party Bluprints, Inc.

Yields: 24 cupcakes

2 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cups of unsalted butter (melted)

1/2 cup of sugar*

3 eggs

1 cup of honey

1/2 cup of OJ*

3/4 cups of champagne

1 teaspoon of grated orange zest*
cupcake tins*

*I used Sugar in the Raw

*I used Simply Orange-no pulp

*I used Stellina di Notte Prosecco. It cost $9.99 and comes in a gorgeous bottle.

*Take an orange (with the peel still on), and with a cheese grater, grate the orange until you have 1 teaspoon worth of orange zest
* I used gold foil cupcake tins. 

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, powder, & salt). Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed, gradually adding in the butter. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Next, add the honey, OJ, and champagne. 
On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients into the large mixing bowl until well combined.
Fold in the orange zest.

Pour batter evenly into the cupcake tins. Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes at 350˚F, or until golden brown. 

Champagne Frosting

6 cups of powdered sugar

1/2 cup of unsalted butter (melted)

3 Tablespoons of Champagne

6 Tablespoons of Orange Juice

1 Tablespoon of Orange Zest*

*Take an orange (with the peel still on), and with a cheese grater, grate the orange until you have 3 tablespoons worth of orange zest.

In a large mixing bowl, whip together all of the ingredients at medium speed. 

Clock Countdown Arrangement

Champagne Cupcakes

Champagne Frosting

Gold Foil Cupcake Tins

Gel Icing

2 Twizzlers*

*For the clockhands, you can also use pretzel rods, pieces of cardboard or whatever you have lying around in the house.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, spread frosting onto the cupcakes. 
Write the numbers 1-12  with gel icing or print out numbers & insert paper into each cupcake with a toothpick.
On a large serving platter, align the cupcakes like a clock. 
Use a Twizzler stick for the large clockhand; for the  small clock-hand, cut a Twizzler stick in half. 

I hope you all enjoy the Champagne Countdown cupcakes. Even if you cannot find the time to decorate the cupcakes, the cupcakes are delicious stand-outs on their own.

Create a great New Year's everyone! Below is your dose of inspiration, inspired by New Year's.

*To follow the Creatively Lu posts daily,  "like" the FB page .

* Follow @Creatively Lu on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.