Baking Tips and Tricks Part 2!

 Welcome back lovelies!

It’s time for yet another baking tips and tricks! I loved the first one so much that I knew I had to make another because I have so many to share! Without further delay, let’s dive in!

Let’s start with the oven. When your baked goods are in the oven it is crucial not to keep opening and closing the oven door. Not only does it let all the build up steam and heat out, but you risk letting any air out the is making your baked good rise. For example, if you’re baking cupcakes while they are in the middle of rising, that could cause the build up of gas to escape and leave you with deflated cupcakes...which no one wants. Another prime example is for cream puffs or eclairs. Those can be difficult to make in the sense most want to open the oven and check on them, but those desserts require the steam in order to rise and give you the hollow centers. The steam being trapped in the oven is crucial for those types of desserts. Overall, it’s best to just leave your oven closed till your timer goes off. If your oven has a window then that is even better because you can keep an eye on them that way! It is also a good idea to get to know your oven. Each oven will bake differently and that's why the time varies. Some ovens tend to bake on the hotter side, requiring less time, or they may cook quicker on the bottom rack, or the left side seems to cook quicker. It is always good to do some test batches to see how your oven bakes, that way you aren’t left last minute with over baked goods. My oven at home tends to bake more even on the bottom rack, so I only bake my cupcakes on the bottom rack. I would say if you’re unsure about which rack to place your baked goods, then start off by putting the rack in the middle. Another good tip is to not over crowd your oven. Overcrowding it will make your goods bake at different times. Some of the goods will take the heat and the others won’t get as much causing them to bake slower. It is best just to stick to baking on one rack instead of both, but all ovens are different so your oven may be fine. Baking is a science, but it is also trial and error. 

The first thing I do when I have a ton of baking to do is make a game plan. By this I mean plan what I will be baking first, then next, what frosting I will make first, and etc. I know going into my baking that my chocolate cake bakes at a lower temperature than my vanilla cake does, so I know I will want to bake my chocolate cakes first because then I will just increase the temperature. If I baked my vanilla cakes first, I would then have to let the oven cool down which would take a while so the higher temperature wouldn’t burn my chocolate cupcakes. It kind of plays with that  saying “start with less because you can always add more.” When deciding on which frosting to make first, I simply make whichever cupcake batch came out first because I know those will be the coolest. If I don’t follow that then I plan out what will require vanilla frosting, because most of my frostings start with a vanilla base and I add in extras to get that certain flavor. So sometimes I will just make a big batch of vanilla buttercream and divide it up to make the other flavors I will be needing. You’ll learn your system and what order works best for you!

When you’re onto making the buttercream portion of your baking, here are some tips to troubleshoot any issues. A big thing is to start with less and add more. If you notice your buttercream is too stiff just add some milk or heavy whipping cream 1 tbsp at a time mixing thoroughly until desired consistency. If you notice your buttercream being too loose after adding some milk, just gradually add some more powdered sugar. Traditional american buttercream, which is what I make, is pretty forgiving and can be fixed pretty easily. If you get into the swiss buttercream or italian that require more precise steps, then that's where you don’t have as much leeway. Always make sure to use unsalted butter when baking or making your frosting. Using salted butter, especially in the frosting, can cause your dessert to become overpowered by salt. It’s always a golden rule to use unsalted butter so that way you can control how much salt goes into your baking. Also, butter and margarine are not the same. Margarine is made with vegetable oils whereas butter is made from milk solids. Margarine does not hold up as well with frosting, tastes different, and has a lower melting point causing it to not be as stable.

Whether you are baking cupcakes, muffins, or a cake, the best tip for keeping your goods from sticking is greasing and flouring the pan. I like to buy the cooking spray that has the oils and flour already in it. Makes life way easier and less messy. If you don’t have that or don’t want to buy it, then you can simply take any noncook spray or butter to grease the pan. Sprinkle some flour in the pan and have it coat the bottom and sides, tap out any extra flour. This allows the baked goods to easily release from the pan when you go to take it out. If you are using a baking sheet that requires you to spray nonstick or use parchment paper, then you don’t need to flour the baking sheet since only the bottom will be sticking and not the sides too. One common mistake I hear is using wax paper instead of parchment paper. Wax paper is good for anything not being baked. I use it when I make my fondant and need it to not stick. If you stick wax paper in the oven the wax will melt causing your baked goods to stick and have melted wax. Whenever you are going to be placing your sheet pan in the oven, always make sure to use parchment paper. Parchment paper is made to handle heat and be baked. 

I believe this is where I am going to end this blog of tips and tricks! I have more I would like to mention, but I am going to save that for part 3 ;) that way I can keep sharing these nifty tips with you! I hope you all enjoyed it and it helps troubleshoot any baking issues you may be running into. As always if you have any questions or comments, never hesitate to ask! I’m here to help and answer any questions you may have! 

Xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines 

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How to trim dog nails!

 Welcome back lovelies!

It has definitely been a minute since we last talked! My schedule with work and personal life has been all over the place so I sincerely apologize that I haven’t been able to blog as much. As always to kick things off, I hope you all are having a wonderful day and getting ready for the Holidays coming up! Most of my doggie appointments are me doing nail trims, and I know a lot of you try to trim their nails yourself to save time and money, so this is a blog about some tips and tricks to help trim your pups nails safely and correctly! Let’s get started!

To start off we should talk about the anatomy of the nail because it plays a big part on how and where to trim. Within every nail is a quick, the quick consists of the blood vessels and nerves. If you clip too far you will hit that quick causing pain and bleeding. There are tips to help avoid it, like in white/clear nails, you can sort of see where the pink runs inside the nail. For that you want to clip right before you hit the pink. If your pup has black nails it can be a little more tricky. The best tip for clipping black nails is to start off less than you think and you can slowly trim away more and more. One sign that you are close to the quick in a black nail is when you look at the end of the nail where you just clipped, you may see a thing chalky white ring, well that ring is the start to where the quick is. Once you see that ring, STOP clipping, you are right by the quick and if you continue you will hit the quick causing pain and bleeding. I will say if you do hit the quick do not worry! It’s just like when we clip our nails a little short and it hurts/starts bleeding. It should stop bleeding after a few, and you can buy “quick-stop” at stores like walmart, petsmart, amazon, and etc. It is a powder that has some numbing agents, all you do is pinch some in your fingers and press up against the bleeding nail. Once the powder comes in contact with the blood it starts to harden like a stopper to stop the bleeding and the numbing agents help with the pain. If your pup is nervous their blood pressure could be spiked up, that being said, the bleeding can look a lot worse than it actually is. The best thing to do is stay calm and just realize their blood pressure is causing their blood to pump faster and more, making it look like a lot. If you remain calm, then you have a better chance of keeping your pup calm. One tip I always share with owners about how I trim nails is to be confident. Not only does that keep your pup more calm because they sense when your nerves are off, but it can help with the pain and in my opinion better your chance of not hitting the quick. I have found in my years of trimming nails that when I hesitate and second guess myself and where to clip, I end up clipping too far. Where if I just clipped where I was originally going to then I wouldn’t have hit it. Again, always start less and work your way farther back. You will get more and more familiar with how far you can clip back the more and more you trim the nails. Also, if you clip slowly and you are hitting the quick, that is gonna hurt much more. The best thing you can do when clipping is to just clip fully and not clip slowly. Some pups have really thick nails, for example larger breed dogs, so clipping fully can be a little more difficult but just do your best. 

If you don't feel comfortable clipping with trimmers, you can always opt for the electric nail files they make for trimming dog nails. I use the pet electric dremel. Most pups are more scared of the dremel because it is noisy, vibrates, and can get hot if you hold it on the same spot and don't keep constantly moving it. If your pup handles the dremel good then that’s my favorite to use. With the dremel I can right up by the quick and not hit it, plus it smooths the nail so they don't have those rough edges when using the clippers. It is much easier to start off little and slowly work your way back to the quick. My tips for the dremel would be to constantly move it across the nail to avoid build up of heat that could cause pain. I also only use it on each nail for a few seconds then switch to another nail to avoid build up of heat. If a nail still needs trimmed farther, then just come back to it after a couple other nails. If it is your pups first time using a dremel, then I like to take their paw and place the opposite end of the grinder on their arm so they sense the vibration and realize the sound and vibration does not hurt. One important thing about nail trimmings is making it a non-stressful experience for your pup. It is a maintenance that should be a calm and good experience. Now I know some pups will always just be nervous for it, but in that case just try to make it as calming as you can. Incorporate treats like peanut butter, cheese, their treats, and etc. You can use the peanut butter as a distraction for them to lick as you clip their nails, or reward them with a treat after each paw. If you notice your pup getting really worked up, then it is probably best to take a break and come back to it in a minute. If they are freaking out and you continue, you risk making them more scared or even becoming aggressive. Always make sure you're watching out for those aggressive signs to keep you and your pup safe. I’ve had owners where their dog is so sweet and would never bite them until it came to nail trimming only because their pup was scared. Your pup could be scared for a number of reasons, so just try to put yourself in their paws that if you were them and you couldn’t understand what I was saying then you’d probably be nervous too. If you clipped their quick in the past that could also make them scared for future nail trims. Rescue pups especially I have found are more scared because of their conditions in the past and just in general most dogs don’t like their paws being touched. Not liking their paws being touched could again be for a number of reasons. A dog's line of defense is their mouth and feet, so if you are holding them or have a muzzle on while trying to trim their nails then they definitely won’t want you touching their feet because they may feel like that is their only line of defense. One tip I always share with owners, and especially if getting a new puppy, is to just pick up their paws and rub them. You don’t even necessarily have to pick up their paw, just rub them so they associate touching their paw as non-painful and harmless. 

There are so many tips and tricks you can use, and it is finding the best one for you and your pup. Depending on how nervous your pup is, you may need another person or two to help out. I always ask before trimming nails if there will be someone present you feels comfortable helping hold/distract the pup. All dogs are different, I have found that for dogs their dog does way better with their owner around and in their own environment. That is why I offer my services where I come to your home, rather than you taking your pup to the vet or groomers. Now that being said, some pups do better away from their owner and in a different environment. It’s all about finding out what works best to keep everyone calm and safe. You may have to find ways to hold your pup that work best, here is an example of how we hold in a vet clinic:

Have one arm under the abdomen and one under the neck to keep them from turning around and biting, the holding their neck kinda contains their head so if they were to turn around and try to bite it would be difficult. For some pets, less restraint is more restraint. That means when you go to hold them it causes them to freak out because they feel like you're trying to hold them down and take away their control, so for pups that are like that, sometimes just sitting with them and lightly holding them makes them more calm and cooperate a lot better. Sometimes putting their collar/harness helps with holding them there and not having full restraint on them. Again, it is all just finding what works best for you and the pup causing less stress and being safe. When getting your pup acclimated to nail trimming you could just slowly work in the aspects of the trimming. For example, every day just work on grabbing your pups foot, then touch the clipper to the paw and let them smell them, and then slowly work in just barely clipping the tip of the nail so they get used to the feeling and noise. Praise them after each time so they associate it as something good! 

Now, as for the steps of how to trim dog nails I am going to just copy and paste the steps that the AKC recommend because I have found they describe it the best and how I was taught in school;

1. Pick up a paw and firmly, but gently, place your thumb on the pad of a toe and your forefinger on the top of the toe on the skin above the nail. Make sure none of your dog’s fur is in the way.

2. Push your thumb slightly up and backward on the pad, while pushing your forefinger forward. This extends the nail.

3. Clip only the tip of the nail, straight across. Include the dewclaws, located on the inner side of the paw.

4. Avoid clipping past the curve of the nail or you risk hitting what is called the quick (the pink area of the nail that contains the blood vessels). A nick there is painful and will bleed. For dogs with dark nails, watch for a chalky white ring.

There are a number of tools out there to help trim your pups nails. They are puppy trimmers, which are for dogs with tiny nails. Big trimmers, for dogs that are bigger and they have thicker nails. And of course, there are electric files for smoothing and grinding down the nail. If you do use the electric file, be prepared to wear a mask because of the dust of the grinding nail going into the air. It can smell, and you should take caution of breathing that in. It won’t hurt you, just not the best for your lungs. I will place pictures below of examples of some different trimmers you can purchase and use. These tools can be purchased pretty much at any place that sells dog care/food, like walmart, petsmart, amazon, and etc. The more and more you trim your pups nails, the farther back that quick will recede letting you trim a little more each time and getting them to the right length. If when you start and you notice your pups nails are really long, you may only be able to trim a little bit for the first couple trims till you get that quick to recede back. Just keep at it and it will eventually get to the length that is appropriate for your pup! I always say depending on how fast your pups nails grow that you should trim them every 4-6 weeks. If you have a puppy you may need to trim every 3ish weeks because their nails are growing much faster as they grow. Once you get doing all this more and more on your own you will figure out what works best and get more comfortable. You will quick your pups nails here and there, but don’t panic, that is part of learning and figuring out what to do for you pup specifically. If you ever have any questions or concerns, you're always more than welcome to reach out to me and ask. Even if you just want me there to personally show you or make you feel comfortable for the first few times, then I will most certainly do so! I’m here to help you and your pup in any way that I can :)

 

That is going to conclude this blog entry! Hopefully I didn’t forget much, but if I did don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know! I hope this helps, and you were able to learn and understand the rules of trimming nails! Have a wonderful rest of your day and I will talk to you next time!!

Xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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New Summer seasonal flavor!

 Welcome back lovelies!

I have been so excited to make and talk about this new flavor! This has been a flavor I have been requested to make for years...since I have been baking! *Drum role* Introducing...Pina Colada flavor!! This flavor is the definition of summer...it represents relaxing vacations, warm weather, tropical flavors, and some fun drinks ;)

This cupcake will be non-alcoholic just like our margarita one...that way kids can enjoy it too and you won't need to worry about if they get a hold of one! The pina colada cupcake will be showcasing our all new fresh pineapple cake! A moist and fluffy vanilla cake with fresh crushed pineapple bits and juice mixed in. I try my best to avoid extracts at all cost. I have found that extracts are either too strong or don't taste real at all...especially with fruit. Next, it is topped with creamy coconut buttercream! I did have to use coconut extract for the buttercream because when I was playing around with coconut milk/cream the flavor never came out right or the texture was off. Don't worry though because the coconut extract for once does taste real and not artificial! It compliments our famous creamy buttercream perfectly! To top of this tropical dessert, we have a nice sprinkle of toasted coconut shreds and a maraschino cherry on top! This cupcake looks, taste, and smells like summer! I am so beyond  happy of how the flavor and design turned out! You will want to act fast because like the other seasonal flavors this one is limited time. You ca buy this flavor for $25/dozen from June 21st to September 22nd!

I hope you guys are as excited for this flavor as I am! I've had so many friends and family over the years request a pina colada cupcake! It was a trial and error of dabbling with how I want the flavors to play through and finding the right balance. If you ever have any suggestion or flavor requests please let me know! I would love to hear them and see if I can get your flavor on the menu! I have SO many more test kitchen flavors I can not wait to try...so be on the look out because new flavors will be popping up everywhere and won't be ending any time soon! I hope you all  enjoyed this blog and enjoy the new summer cupcake!

xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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Baking tips and tricks

 Welcome back lovelies!

I hope you all are doing awesome and enjoying  the decent  weather outside! I have been baking for almost  a decade...that has given me a lot of time to figure out the do's and the don'ts of baking. In this blog I would like to share some of them to you  guys for your baking at home! Let's get started!

Let's start off with the baking instructions. Now whether you are making your treat from a box or from scratch it is very important to not to guess when measuring. Baking is a  science which requires special attention to measuring. Now you don't have to be spot on, but don't just eyeball it either. If you were to add too much liquid for example, it could cause the inside of your  cake/cupcakes to become mushy and deflate due to the heaviness of the extra moisture...and trust me...there is enjoying a nice moist and fluffy cupcake...and then there is a soupy paperweight. 

Another tip for following instructions, and this mainly applies for when you use a  stand mixer (but should still be utilized in any form of baking), always scrape down the side of your bowl. My rule of thumb is whenever I turn off the mixer then the sides of the bowl are getting scraped...no questions. If you don't then your dessert will not turn out right because some of the ingredients may be at the bottom/sides of the bowl instead of incorporated. An example I had of this is when I was making my vanilla cupcakes one day and I had already scraped the bowl like 3 times. Well, not all the butter and sugar got mixed in so when they were done baking the tops of the cupcakes had crystalized bubbles on top. Those bubbles would be the unmixed sugar that had just been baked and crystalized. I don't know about you but I don't want my cake to be crunchy lol. It is a good habit to just take the extra couple seconds to scrape the bowl so you don't have to start completely over. 

A good rule of thumb to have also is do not over mix your batter! This is key when trying to achieve light and fluffy cakes. What happens when you over mix is you end up building up the gluten molecules and gluten is what gives things like bread their elasticity and chewiness...not what we want for our cakes...unless you do...then you do what makes you happy! :) These are just  tips, you have free control on your baking! When you are mixing your batter I like to alternate my wet and dry mixes. I start by adding half of my dry, mix just until I don't see anymore flour, scrape the bowl, and then add all my wet ingredients. I repeat that same process till my wet ingredients are just combined, scrape the bowl, and then add the rest of the dry mixture. Now for this last time of adding and mixing the dry, this is where you really don't want to overmix.  Just mix in all the flour until you don't see anymore, after that, you are done mixing. Make sure there are no clumps of flour not mixed in...I like to fold in my batch of dry ingredients...I find it makes it smoother and I have a less chance of overmixing the  batter. 

Before I even start baking a take all my needed ingredients out of the fridge to warm up to room temp. Most batters require you to cream soften butter and sugar together, and  if you add a fresh out of the fridge cold egg...well...that will solidify you butter again and not only will it cause your batter to be weird...but it won't bake in the oven properly either. Your batter will have little clumps of butter and when that butter bakes it will cause big air bubbles in you cake/cupcakes. I always just take my ingredients an hour before I start baking. I have some other tricks up my sleeve so if you need the ingredients to be warmed up quicker but just be careful when doing so. The first is for when you need soften butter quick, I stick  the cold stick of butter in the microwave and I do it in 5 second increments...no more than that...you do not want melted butter. Melted butter  will change your whole batter and baking. I just do the increments till when I touch the butter, it is not hot nor warm, but I can leave an indent with my finger, Depending on how warm your butter already is, then you may have to adjust how many times you put it in for 5 seconds. For eggs, I have found if I take a bowl and put luke warm water in it and submerge the eggs for about  5-10 minutes then that helps warm them up. Depending on how cold your eggs are, you may need to change the bowl of water a couple times because the cold eggs will cool the water down quickly. I just leave them in there till when I hold the egg for a few seconds it doesn't feel cool at all. Don't use too hot of water or you will cook your eggs! Also, always crack your eggs in a separate dish. That way if any eggshells fall in then you can get them out before it being all throughout your batter. It's not yummy biting into a piece of eggshell in your cupcake. If you need to warm up liquid ingredients, you can do the 5 second microwave  thing in a microwave safe bowl, but just be careful not to curdle your milk or anything. I would not recommend using  the microwave method for ingredients like yogurt or sour cream, because you don't want those to become runny. Overall, it is just best to take them out a little bit prior to baking. Trust me, I understand that last minute baking where you need them now lol.

A big tip that I discovered throughout the years of baking, and I live by this, is to double line your cupcake tin! I can't tell you how many burnt bottoms I have had from not double lining. Growing up we had an older oven, so it didn't bake the most even. It would be a hit or miss if the bottoms were burnt. I would find the bottoms are cooked fully, but the middle isn't...and when the middle was cooked fully...the bottoms were overcooked. So I started experimenting on how to prevent that, and I noticed all the ones  I accidently had two liners on rarely burnt on the bottom. Since then I have been double lining my pan and it has worked WONDERS! I always double line if using the paper liners, but when using the foil ones (like I use now for my cupcakes) they are much thicker and don't really need to be double lined. Also I know when you get the silver foil liners and it  has the foil piece and the paper piece...some throw out  the paper piece, but I use both. I put the paper piece on inside where it will bake with the cupcake and keep the foil piece on the outside when baking. Double lining also helps when the cupcakes are done baking, the paper liners can tend to soak up oil from the batter and the second liner helps hide that to make it look pretty! If you get a designed paper liner I have found that after baking it can be  hard to make out the design anymore, so once again double lining helps keep the pattern prevalent. 

Whenever I place the cupcakes in the oven, I always bake it 5 minutes less than what the recipe calls for. Every oven is different,  and every time something bakes my be +/- a couple minutes when baking then when you baked it last. Each time you bake the same recipe, your baking times may still vary.  You eventually will get to know how your oven likes to work. For example, you may find it bakes faster on one side than the other, or the recipe said to leave it in for 20 minutes but it was overcooked by then, or leave it in for 20 minutes but it took me 15 more minutes for it to fully bake. It's all just watching and trial and error. You're gonna have some overcooked ones, that's fine, those are the ones that will show you if your oven just bakes hotter and you need to bake at less time. So whenever something calls for a certain time of baking, I always do 5 minutes less and watch from there. I always bake with the oven light on also...just so I can keep and eye on them to make sure they are baking right and not overflowing or the tops are burning. Once your timer goes off, stick a toothpick in the middle of the cupcake/cake and if it comes out clean, then it is done! I always  take my cupcakes out of the pan and onto a cooling rack right when they come out of the oven. I don't want the hot pan to keep baking the cupcakes once they are  out. PLEASE BE CAREFUL if you do this!! They are just out of the oven and you can burn yourself badly! Once they are on the cooling rack, I put that rack in the fridge to cool them down completely and stop baking...it also lets me frost them quicker too! Feel the top of your cupcakes once they are cooled for a bit, if they are still warm then leave them in longer. Only frost them once they are completely cooled or your frosting may melt off. 

That is all the baking tips and tricks I have for right now! If I think of any more then there may be a part two, but I also didn't want to make this too terribly long lol! If you have any questions or can think of any tips you'd like to find out, then please feel free to ask me! I love answering any questions about baking!! (any excuse I can get to talk about baking or veterinary medicine then I am in!) Thank you guys so much for reading and I will talk to you in the next one! Continue having a wonderful day!!

xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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Holiday Cupcakes!

 Welcome back lovelies!

I hope you all are having wonderful holiday's! Speaking of holiday's, that is what this blog will be about! I wanted to briefly discuss about our upcoming holiday themed cupcakes :) Let's dive in!

I knew back in November of 2020 that I wanted to bring something fun to 2021, holiday themed cupcakes. I figured what would be better since the new year was starting and holiday's would be starting over. I immediately started designing up the ideas for this year!

Starting with Valentine's Day, I really wanted to something with pink velvet. I tested my normal red velvet recipe but with pink dye instead...it turned out really good, but it was going to take so much pink food coloring that I wouldn't be able to make many batches and afford all the coloring while selling it at a reasonable price. I went with the next best thing I could think of to still have that festive pink color. I know just dying vanilla cake pink was simple, but I just loved the color it gave off. I decided to go with something smooth and decadent; pink vanilla cake, our famous cream cheese frosting, and festive heart sprinkles. They sold really well and I want to thank you all for all the great love and support! 

On to St. Patrick's Day! My all time favorite limited time St. Patrick's Day treat was a shamrock shake from McDonald's! I needed, emphasis on needed, that as a cupcake in my life! I wanted a minty yet creamy tasting cupcake to represent that famous treat. I decided on vanilla cake dyed green, lightly minty vanilla buttercream, and festive green sprinkles on top! I made sure to make the frosting only slightly minty. I wanted you to taste it but also get the vanilla flavor to represent the milkshake. Plus no one needs a cupcake that is so strong of mint that it taste like toothpaste...I mean...nasty. I was really proud of how they turned out flavor and look wise! They tasted just like the nostalgic treat of my childhood!

For Easter I had so many ideas and it was hard to pick just one! I know that I could have released multiple but I wanted to save some so I can release them throughout the years. What I finally decided on was a cute little birds nest! I love the Cadbury chocolate eggs that come out for Easter, so I thought it would be so adorable to replicate a little birds nest with those eggs! I decided vanilla cake, vanilla buttercream grass piping, chocolate "nest" swirl, and topped with the chocolate eggs!

The following Holiday's are a surprise for when they come up ;) I hate to leave you guys on a cliff hanger but I don't want to ruin the surprise of what they will be! I will say this year, since it is the first year of me doing limited time Holiday cupcakes, they are simpler this year. I plan on next year they being a little more "gourmet" with fillings inside! I wanted to kind of test drive how well they would do this year. Each year will be different so keep an eye out for that! The Holiday cupcakes are sold just like the gourmet and/or seasonal ones for $25/dozen! As always I can do a variety dozen with 6 of one flavor and 6 of another, but it does cost extra. 

I hope you all are as excited as I am for these! I've stated in previous blogs how much I love bringing you all new flavors and content so any excuse I can get to make a new cupcake I will take! If you have any suggestions then always feel free to let me know :) I would love to try and make any ideas you would have! I can't wait to see what the future holds for all the new flavors and ideas! Thank you all so much for your love and support in letting me be able to keep creating new flavors for you to enjoy with friends and family! Enjoy and I hope you are having a wonderful day! Talk to you next blog :)

xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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Releasing new Spring seasonal flavor!

 Welcome back lovlies!

I hope you all are as ready for spring as I am! To celebrate I am going to discuss our new spring season cupcake! I’ve been ready for this cupcake, and I know you all have been ready also! Introducing...our new spring seasonal flavor...orange dreamsicle!!!

One of my favorite cupcakes is our lemon cupcake strictly because of the nice citrus flavor. We already sell lemon and lime margarita so it was only fitting that the next citrus cupcake be a childhood favorite of orange dreamsicle! This cupcake is orange flavored cake, (with fresh orange juice instead of orange extract!) orange and vanilla flavored swirled buttercream, and topped with orange sanding sugar! I knew the cake and frosting had to have natural orange juice and zest for the flavor. I try to avoid artificial extracts as much as possible. If they are not used right then they can be way over powering and give almost a burning sensation down your throat...nobody needs or wants that! The cake is so nice and fluffy with the subtle hint of orange, while the buttercream is silky smooth and light with that subtle and natural orange flavor! For the frosting I knew I wanted to swirl vanilla and orange because that is what makes an orange dreamsicle! The vanilla adds that creamy flavor into the orange. I made sure to ever so lightly color the orange buttercream with orange food coloring that way you got a nice swirl of the white and orange to look more like the classic treat! The sanding sugar is just that nice subtle decor to top it all off! I always buy fresh fruit and juice them myself for any fruity cupcake! I make and buy everything fresh by order, because I want you to have the best and nothing less! 

I needed these to be a spring seasonal cupcake for the fact of how bright and cheery that these cupcakes look (and taste!) I wanted this to get everyone in the spring mood and looking forward to the warming weather! I like to also try and keep my fruity cupcakes more in the season of the fruit since I do use fresh fruit. That is why my chocolate strawberry cupcake is a seasonal one as well. I still wanted you all to have access to fruity cupcakes all year so I did put the lemon and strawberry on our regular menu! These orange dreamsicle cupcakes will be available all of spring and I allow you guys to start ordering the next season a month before the new season starts...so no worries you can get your seasonal cupcakes a little early ;) They run the same price as the gourmet cupcakes, so &25/dozen! I can always do a variety dozen of 6 in one flavor and 6 in another, but that does cost a little extra. 

My taste testers absolutely loved these cupcakes! They gave me the approval of releasing it all to you! I have so many more test kitchen recipes to try and release! All the way from new seasonal ones, to new regular ones, new gourmet, and even the holiday ones! If you guys ever have any suggestions as well, then I am all ears to hear them out! I love thinking of new flavors for you and testing them out in the test kitchen! I hope you all enjoy the new flavor and childhood classic combined into a cupcake! I can’t wait to release the next new seasonal one coming in summer! (hint: pineapple... ) I hope you all have a wonderful day and if you are going on vacation soon then I hope you have a wonderful time and stay safe! Talk to you next blog!

Xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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Dog care services!

Welcome back lovelies!

I hope you all are having a good 2021 so far! We are one month down! In this blog I want to kind of discuss my dog care services!

Along with making yummy cupcakes for humans (and now pups!),  I also offer services to help with your fur baby! I am currently in the process of becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician. For those who don't quite know what an RVT is, it is basically equivalent to a Register Nurse in the human medical field but for animals! I knew for Cupcakes & Canines I wanted to offer as many services for your pup as I could. My ultimate goal was to be able to help you and your pet, and I know for some it can be hard to get to the vet.

I know for some it can be difficult to get your pet to the vet especially if they don't like going. For others it could be that their pup just does really good and taking to the vet, paying the office fee, then paying for the basic care service for them to be there only for 10 minutes, then drive all the way back home can be aggravating for some. That's why I offer the services I do! I wanted to be able to come to the pets environment and help the owners/pet where they are comfortable. I've noticed in my past that some pets just honestly do better in their own environment where I let them get comfortable with me instead of taking them somewhere where they are not used to causing them to panic more. I have had some pets where they do better away from their owners but majority I have worked with feel way more comfortable with their owners staying by their side. 

I work along with the pet, that meaning if the pet gets stressed then we take a break, I'm on their schedule when it comes to this. I try to look at it from their point of view, if I was them I wouldn't want a stranger grabbing my paw and trimming my nails, they don't know that it won't hurt them, we can not tell them that and they understand what we just told them. I schedule my dog care appointments a certain way to where I don't have a time limit. If I have to do one paw then take a 15 minute break, then that's what we do! I also offer my services to come back a couple days later if they get too stressed and we can't finish all in one visit. My ultimate goal is not over stressing the pet. I want them to associate this as a friendly and non scary thing. If they are getting worked up and I continue then it could just push them to be scared and defensive, and I don't blame them if we are looking from their point of view. I have had a couple pets where I just could not trim their nails. It wasn't that the pet was bad or hostile, they were just scared and I am not going to push them over the edge. Some dogs just do better in a veterinary clinic where they have all the extra hands to help. 

I always give a disclaimer when I first arrive to the owners about how dogs have blood vessels and nerves that run through their nails, called their "kwiks," I give a heads up that it is possible that I could cut too far and it does clip them where their kwik is. It's just like when we trim our nails and we might trim a little too far. I always try my absolute best not too but sometimes it happens. It could happen if the dog moves or pulls their paw away, and even if they have black nails where you can't tell where the kiwk is. In that case, I always trim a little longer and slowly work my way back. It is a situation that I explain always looks worse than it actually is. Since the dog is nervous their blood pressure spikes causing them to bleed faster, so what was just a real quick clip, can bleed a lot more than what the trauma really is. I always carry with me "kwik-stop" which is a styptic powder that when it comes in contact with the blood, hardens and creates a seal over the nail to stop the bleeding. With puppies or dogs who are new to the nail trim I tend to leave their nails a little longer because I don't want to risk clipping them at all. Since it is new to them I don't want them to get hurt and then no longer tolerate nail trims. I want them to see it as a routine maintenance that does not hurt. 

I always ask before hand also when owners are making the appointment if they feel comfortable helping hold if need be. I've had some pets that just sit there and let me trim theirs nails quick and do really good, but most of the time nail trimming is a two to three person job. I've found it helps if the owners holds because they will be more calm since they know the person, while the owner holds I sweep in and trim the nails real quick. I do always carry muzzles with me of all sizes. I don't use them as a form of punishment, but more of a distractions. I have found that some dogs when you put it they just stop moving and become almost "paralyzed" till we take it off. I also have them so if the pet does not care for the nail trim I want to keep the owner, the pet, and me safe. It is not at all to punish the dog just to keep everyone safe, and like I stated before I understand if the dog is aggressive about it, they don't know what is going on and are scared. I have multiple tools to try and help with the nail trims. I carry peanut butter with me, all natural calming treats, calming spray, and etc. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but I have them just in case. 

Nail trims are definitely my most requested dog care service, but I do offer others such as ear cleaning, anal gland expression, dog sitting, and any medical help. I have just basic ear cleaner to help clean your dogs ear to help prevent any possible ear infection. If you notice them shaking their head a lot or scratching at their ears then this could help clean them to help rid the issue. If the shaking and scratching continue (or they begin to smell) then it is probably best to follow up with your veterinarian! If you notice your dog scooting or chewing at their butt a lot then this could be a sign up full anal glands. I offer the service to help empty them because leaving them unattended can lead to anal gland abbesses and will rack up a hefty vet bill and not to mention cause your pup a lot of pain. Normally they should express on their own when they poop, this is what leaves their scent, but sometimes they just get backed up and need a little help. If they aren't expressing on their own either then it could be a sign of infection, which would need further treatment. When I help with anal glands I always check to make sure it is normal material and not a possible infection starting. For the medical help that could be anything from helping give pills, at home IV fluids, at home injections, and etc. I've had vets in the past send owners home with all of this and the owners have no clue how to do it. That's where this service comes in and I can help if you don't understand the vet's instructions, don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, or just don't know where to start. I know for some clinics they offer you doing it at home yourself because it can be cheaper. You don't have to pay an administration fee if you do it at home. My grandma used to do that for her old dog and just have me come over and administer everything since that is what I was doing when I worked at a veterinary clinic anyway.

My dog sitting has a couple options I offer. I offer to either do multiple check ins through out the day or I can stay overnight at the house with them. Some owners just need me to check on their pet a few times throughout the day and they do fine by themselves overnight. For the check ins that could include feeding. pottying, playing, cuddling, and medical need, and etc. I usually do 3-5 check ins (depending on what the owner wants) and I always a stay a minimum of an hour (usually more.) That way the pup gets quality time. My biggest pet peeve is when dog sitter come over, let them out, then leave ;/ No they need the time to play, get energy out, have some attention. For the ones where I stay overnight, that is pretty much the exact same thing as the check ins but I stay there also during the whole night. It all just depends on what the owner wants and the pet needs. The check ins also work for even if you aren't necessarily need a sitter the whole day but just need the pet taken care of while you're at work or out of town for a few hours. I would just pop by, check on them, do any care they need, and it's an hour long as well. That offer is just paid by the hour rather than the sitting which is paid by the day. 

My services can also be extended to some other pets also! I can help with nail trims for cats, guinea pigs, reptiles, and etc! I just want to be able to give your pet the maintenance care they need while also helping you out by making it easier to accomplish that. I absolutely LOVE meeting all the pets when I do my service appointments. It's like making new friends each time! I look forward to it each and every time! I always tell owners never to feel bad if their dog tackles me because I absolutely love it!! If I get taken out by a 120 pound great dane then that is how I go :) My dog sitting schedule has been filling up fast so if you are needing a dog sitter coming up then message me ASAP! Message me also for any upcoming dog care services and I can get you all scheduled. I hope you guys enjoyed and I can't wait to talk to you in the next blog! Stay safe and I hope I get to meet you and your pet in the future!

xoxo, Cupcakes & Canines

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