A Swirly Pink Pick Me Up for Mid-Winter

Every year, from late January to late February, I get a case of the winter blahs. Sunny days are sparse. Everything is covered in snow and ice.

It's too cold to do just about anything. I turn into a real homebody.

I start to seek out little pick-me-ups that help me make it through until March.

A little fresh color here and there, a bouquet of cheery tulips, a few new spring tops, a long-gone TV series consistently arriving in my mailbox via Netflix, and food infused with bright colors.

I have been for a dessert with a fruit and with a burst of pink. These raspberry swirl cupcakes fit the bill. The raspberry puree is brilliant - so bold and fresh.

And the swirls are fun to make. I think they are so pretty.

You can swirl just about anything that can be pureed or melted (hello chocolate) into a muffin or cupcake.

Make extra fruit puree; it can be stirred into yogurt.

Livvy helped me make these.

We are a great baking team - she eats a couple cupcake bottoms, I eat a few cupcake muffin tops. The rest is put away for dessert for the males in the house.

Raspberry Swirl Cupcakes

makes 12

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Puree raspberries and strain seeds with a fine mesh sieve. Use the back of a spoon to push raspberry puree through. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract and milk. Gradually add sugar and beat to blend. Add eggs one at a time. Blend well. Mixture will be very moist at this point.

At low speed, add the flour mixture in thirds to the wet ingredients. Increase speed to thoroughly blend.

Fill a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners. Fill cups 2/3 full.

Drizzle one teaspoon of raspberry puree over cupcake batter. Use a toothpick to make raspberry puree swirls in the batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes and let cool completely.

Mesclun with Herbs & Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Hello there! My first blog entry for 2012.

It feels great to be back at it.

From the inspiration stage, to the getting it all down on the computer - I thoroughly enjoy the whole process. I think this is the longest I've gone without posting in awhile. Much needed recharging and unplugging for the holidays was called for.

Citrus fruits are what I am craving lately - the color, the vitamins, the detox.

From ruby red grapefruit, to satsuma oranges, to my all time favorite blood oranges. So pretty.

I put together a light lunch for myself today. A mesclun lettuce mix with herbs and a blood orange vinaigrette dressing. Simple, quick, light, and clean.

Chopped pistachios give a nice crunch.

We've had the cold virus in our house for the past week. On the tail end now.

We'll be eating lots of citrus.

I'll have to post soon about the mushroom immunity-boosting soup I made for new years eve. I swear it eased my symptoms.

I haven't made any new year's resolutions other than to stay healthy. And happy.

And keep my loved ones happy and healthy.

Last year was a year of discovery - the year I discovered a passion for photography. The year I started seeing the world with a new and more appreciative eye. There is much I want to accomplish and do for 2012.

Where to begin?

Here's to a 2012 of happiness, health, and greatness!

Mesclun with Herbs & Blood Orange Vinaigrette

bag or container of mesclun lettuce mix

8 sprigs of fresh chives, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped

2 blood oranges (1 is for making the vinaigrette)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped pistachios

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Peel and segment 1 blood orange, put aside. In a large salad bowl, combine the juice of one blood orange with the balsamic vinegar, sea salt, Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil - whisk well. Add mesclun, herbs, chopped pistachios, and blood orange segments to the vinaigrette bowl and toss well. Serves 4.