What's Going On Around Here

Ok, so I'm soooo far behind in my posting, that I'm going to do a picture post of what's going on.

In late March we went to san Antonio for a conference and enjoyed some 80 degree weather while we still had snow on the ground.  I came home April 1 to "break up"

The snow melted fairly quickly, but green up still didn't happen until mid May

Our older chickens are enjoying being out of their coop all day

Last weekend our Bronze Turkeys enjoyed moving from the garage to outdoors

We have a few replacement layers still in the garage, we have 4 Ameraucana and 2 Delaware.  Ameraucana have been our best layers all winter, we have never grown Delaware before.  We didn't hatch any, and we are not doing any chickens for meat this year.  (it refuses to quit writing in italics!)

The Rhubarb is coming up, no sign of the strawberries, apparently they didn't enjoy or -50 this winter.

The starts are being hardened off outdoors.  This could have happened much earlier and they should be in the ground already, but my life has been taken over by cupcakes!!!

Yep Wild Rose Cupcakes is still selling cupcakes at the Tanana Valley Farmers Market. 

The tomatoes did get moved out a couple weeks ago.  We did put some heating coils under the soil to keep it a bit warmer in there, with the intention of getting them out early May, but in reality we didn't need them because they didn't get moved out until mid May and it was plenty warm then.   They look great mostly because they were purchased from a greenhouse.  Mine managed to all die again this year after transplanting the first time.  I don't get it!

Pollinating with an electric toothbrush. 

Well that's a very quick update of the past 2 months!  This weekend our goal is to get the garden beds planted.

Cupcakes - It's where I've been

Alaska Blueberry Vanilla Cupcake

Wow I've been gone a long time.  I'm really sorry, I didn't intend to be gone for so long, but well I've been making cupcakes.  Let me explain...

S'more Cupcakes

We decided to start a cupcake bakery here in Fairbanks. 

Wild Rose Cupcakes, Fairbanks Alaska

I got the idea after visiting one in Chicago, ok and I admit it, being addicted to watching Cupcake Wars.  Cupcakeries are all the rage everywhere.... except here.  I would love a store front, but for now we are going to sell at the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

 I hope you come visit our web page www.wildrosecupcakes.com  (I'd love some feedback on the site, I've never designed a web page before.  Does anyone out there have any idea how to get a button to link to Facebook and twitter on website tonight?  Here is a link to like us on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Rose-Cupcakes/228236090623132

I have spent an enormous amount of time trying and perfecting recipes, the most difficult by far has been to make cupcakes that don't dry out immediately without using preservatives.  Here  is a link to my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe so far. 

Classic Vanilla-Vanilla Cupcake

Mmmmm and my new favorite frosting French buttercream, you can find the recipe here


I hope you forgive me for my long absence.  I'll post more later on gardening and chickens and turkeys soon (ok realistically next weekend because this upcoming week will be a crazy one)