So, last night kicked off So You Think You Can Dance and this is one happy dance camper right here!! Nigel apparently took a note from his Kinder Gentler Idol playbook and gave us a whole lot of good dancing mixed in with only a fraction of the tragically bad ones I fast forward through. And, speaking of tragic, not too, too much with the wrenching personal stories either. A few, but it wasn’t so heavy handed as in the past.

Mostly last night just celebrated some really great dancing, and boy, is there going to be plenty of that this season! Two cities of auditions down and I’m already calling this season, SYTYCD: Master Class. I don’t think they can screw it up, in terms of having a plethora (and boy, if there was ever a time to use that word, this is it) of talent to choose from. Loved. It. Can’t wait for more. Yay, summer is officially here a few weeks early!

Also, while you are cooking away this Memorial Day weekend, why not add cupcakes to the menu? Then send me your awesome recipe for it and maybe it will be published in the back of my upcoming Sugarberry Island Cupcake Club book, SWEET STUFF!! What? You didn’t know about this? Well, click on this CONTEST! link and read all about it!! The deadline isn’t until June 15, so plenty of time to strap on that baker’s apron and get out the sugar and eggs!

The only requirements are that the recipe originates with you (or your friends/family) and not from a previously published source. And when the rules state it can’t have been published before, we don’t mean like in your church or charity cookbook. That’s fine. Just not in a cookbook you can buy on, say, Amazon. This is only to insure that folks aren’t sending in Betty Crocker’s cupcake recipes and calling them their own. Unless, I guess, of course, you’re Betty’s daughter or niece, then have at it!! We’ll be narrowing down the entries to three favorites, then sending them off to a special secret panel of judges (more on that to come later!!) and the winner will be announced on June 30.

In addition, if your recipe is deemed “runner up” worthy, I’ll be asking you if it’s okay to feature your recipe on my cupcake blog, Cakes by the Cup, as one of the weekly recipes posted there, with full credit given, of course.

AND! Every cupcake recipe that is used by us in some way, on the site, or published in my book, earns the baker responsible for the recipe a free advance copy of SWEET STUFF!!

So? What are you waiting for? Ready, set, BAKE!!

Except, wait one more second! I have to give away one of my books right here, right now. Thank you all for also entering the Free Stuff Friday contest this week. And the winner of the free book from my website bookshelf is? Jessica E!!! Just email me at donna@donnakauffman.com with a few choices (in case I’m out of your first one) and your prize will be added to the mail pile!

And, if you entered the contest to win the free Southern Living Big Cupcake Cookbook, check the Cakes by the Cup Blog late this afternoon to see if you’re the big cupcake cookbook winner! (And to snag yet another fabulous cupcake recipe!!)

Okay…..now you can BAKE! And DISH!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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So, I heard that Idol brought Haley back and I got all excited about the finale, which I wasn’t excited about at all. Seems Lauren strained her vocal chords so badly they didn’t think she could compete in the finale. So Haley was brought in, rehearsed, the whole nine yards. Only Lauren opted in, in the end. (And yay her, sincerely! She got there, she deserved to compete. But honestly, I also felt like it was a little “hey, let’s just jerk Haley around. AGAIN.”)

I didn’t watch. I taped it, started to fast forward through it, and just found it completely uninteresting (to me. They sing very, very well, but it’s been there, done that, samey samey week in/out for me with them.) Plus, as teenagers, I wonder how either of them will do in the Music Industry Machine and can’t get excited about that for them. I wish they were both a little older before being thrown to the wolves. Their talent would only improve and they’d have the maturity to help them deal with the rest of what’s about to happen to them. So…kind of ambivalent this go around.

That said, I did hear a lot of talk about David Cook’s performance, so went and checked that out just now and that? THAT is the kind of thing I rooted for. Nicely done. I see a download in my future.

I spent the evening in the ballroom instead, enjoying the finale on Dancing With the Stars, watching Mark out dance his partner one last time (although props for bringing back one of my favorite of their routines. I did really enjoy seeing it again), Kirstie go back and repeat her opening number of the season, and FINALLY give me that performance I’ve been waiting for, and Kym & Hines to end the season, as they have all the way through, bestowing happy smiles as I watch them flit across the floor together. Truly joyful, those two. So, in the end for me, it had nothing to do with the best technical dancer, but so many other things, Triumph over adversity, pure pleasure in entertainment, fun, wit, playfulness, all of those things counted. And, for me, it ended exactly how it should have.

Mark & Chelsea came in third. And, honestly, though a better technical dancer than the other two, all things considered, I think that was exactly where they should have landed. Kirstie gave Maks yet again another second place finish, and he said the sweetest thing, which was that in eleven seasons, he’s been given eleven trophies (his partners) and he loved her very much. Awww. And then the trophy went to the pair that has been the most joyful to watch, week in and week out, for me. Hines & Kym get the coveted mirror ball trophy and all is good and fun. A nice season, this go. I hope they manage to find a way to get a fun combination like that again next time around!

I also taped The Voice, and though I thought these battle rounds were the most mismatched and therefore the least enjoyable (comparatively speaking) I am still very much enjoying the show and the competitors. I am really looking forward to next week, as some of my favorite contestants will battle in the final head to head round. I have no idea how the team thing works after this round, when the, public starts voting, and given the show hasn’t bothered to explain that part, I wonder if they do, either, but I don’t care. I’ll be tuning in!

So You Think You Can Dance starts tomorrow night, and not a moment too soon! Nigel said in an interview yesterday that they are bringing back both the Top 20 and the All Star mentors, both of which I liked last season, only this time they are trying a different balance. Last time, by having the All Stars pair up straight off with the competing dancers, we lost a little of the fun we had in seeing the competing dancers pair with each other. So, to deal with that, this season, they will have the Top 20 pair with each other, then when it’s down to the Top 10, the All Stars will come in. Winning! And, he teased us that we will see Alex Wong again…in some way. I still have his routine with Twitch on my DVR. The longest I have ever saved anything. And it’s still worth the rewatch. Makes me grin, every time.

Don’t forget to enter this week’s contests! And boy, do we have contests! See Tuesday’s post here for details on how to win a book by Moi, from my website bookshelf, and get your entry in. Winner announced here Friday. Then check out my Cakes by the Cup blog, where I am sharing my epicurean journey into the baking of wee cakes as I write (and eat!) my way through my upcoming Sugarberry Island Cupcake Club series. While you’re over there, in addition to drooling over the best Mississippi Mud recipe evah, you can enter to win a copy of Southern Living’s Big Cupcake Cookbook. (See bottom of current blog post for entry details.)

AND! You can also click on the CONTEST! link on either site, then hurry up and send me your favorite cupcake recipe. If your recipe is selected the winner, it will be published in the back of my second Cupcake Club book, SWEET STUFF! I know! How awesome is that?!?

So, what are you waiting for? Enter to win…then come back here and DISH!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Last night on DWTS we got the final three doing their thang. The judges picked their first dance style, then it was the freestyle round. I have to say, I’ve been increasingly disappointed in the freestyle routines over the past handful of seasons and that feeling continued last night. At least they were all somewhat entertaining, but no jaws were dropping.

In the first round, Mark & Chelsea got the samba and, as always, executed it quite proficiently. She is the best technical dancer, but I never connect to her emotionally as the two of them seem very side-by-side but separate/in their own worlds when they dance. I blame all of this on Mark, as he doesn’t do much to showcase his partner, he just expects her to keep up with him and his ridiculous over dancing. I like them better when they go off grid and do the wilder character stuff as at least it’s interesting and Chelsea seems to do better when she can play a character, in terms of engaging me, the viewer, in her dance. Their samba left me completely unmoved.

Then Kirstie & Maks also get the samba. Sand-bagged much? I mean, come on, there’s a dozen or more dances, and we only need three tonight….yet two are the same dance? There should have been some overview on it and give the audience something different to watch. Obviously in an entirely different stratosphere than the previous one, and while I found Maks’ choreo far more endearing and entertaining, and I still admire Kirstie for her put-it-out-there attitude, by contrast, it wasn’t a helpful situation to be in. At the very least they should have been separated by some other dance first, and let Hines go second. Just poor show production there. At least Maks & Kirstie had personality and connection, and was more entertaining to watch.

Hines and Kym were, by far, the most entertaining of the first round for me with their quickstep. Delightful, fun, high speed, and simply joyful to watch. No, he’s nowhere near the proficient dancer that Chelsea is, but then, I don’t care, because he engages me in his dance, which she (due to Mark’s over mugging and over dancing and complete lack of connecting with her and showcasing her) fails to do. This was when the night got fun for me.

None of the freestyles really wowed me. I thought Mark and Chelsea’s was quite frantic and choppy, with her often waiting in awkward transition from trick to trick to lift to lift. I just wanted to see them dance. And the whole blinky light shoe and glove thing, even if her lights hadn’t winked out, didn’t really do that frantic choreo any favors. (And was I the only one who was amused thinking that Mark probably loved that her lights went out so she could dance in the shadows around the glow that was him? Oh wait….that’s every week.)

Maks and Kirstie had a very endearing freestyle and major points of them showing off just how far she’d come. Awkward at times? Heck yeah, but a more “feel good” performance than the previous one and, while not as technically proficient, a lot more fun to watch. I mean, she’s 60. Doing cartwheels. I don’t care how poorly executed. And that first lift? Was lovely. Truly lovely. I always find myself wishing that she could relax and perform more like she does in rehearsal, but she seems to get adrenaline overload when the live music kicks in and is never as smooth or fully executed live as she is otherwise. I’m still waiting to see her truly give the smooth, confident performance I know she has in her.

Hines and Kym’s freestyle was also a bit awkward to me given the marching band music, but I was distracted by worrying about her neck in a round when tricks are supposed to be highlighted. I thought she handled that element incredibly well, and, overall, it was the best dance performance for me. I just thought the marching band, while interesting and unique, wasn’t really as engaging as something else might have been, in terms of pulling me into their otherwise fun choreo. The idea was cute & innovative, though, in concept.

So….who will win? The point spread was close enough (59, 59, and 54) that it really is up to how the home vote went. I was kind of glad the judges more or less recused themselves from the final count tally by making it fairly even. I think on fan favorite, it would go to Kirstie or Hines, but on skill and dance merit, it would go to Chelsea. I don’t know if America, at large, is as turned off by Mark as I am (and others on bulletin boards everywhere) so he could reel in another trophy. I hope not. I think, at this point, Kym/Hines are the most deserving. Great chemistry, good growth over the season from an otherwise non-dancer, and most entertaining and joyful to watch, consistently, week to week. So they get my vote. I guess we’ll find out tonight!

There are other contests going on right now, too. No mirror ball trophy, but in these contests, YOU can be the winner! Yes, in celebration of my upcoming Sugarberry Island Cupcake Club book series releases, my publisher is holding an Original Cupcake Recipe contest. Link is above in the blog roll, or you can head over to my Cakes by the Cup Blog and click on the CONTEST! link at the top of the home page. (While you’re there, check out the scrumptious Mississippi Mud cupcake recipe. Super yum!)

And, while over there, check out the other weekly contest. You can win a copy of the Southern Living Big Cupcake Cookbook just by dropping me an email. See the current blog post for the entry details.

AND! Because I’m a giver, I give…we’re having another Free Stuff Friday giveaway right here! Just send me an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “I don’t need no stinkin’ mirrorball trophy, I just want a book!” in the subject line. One winner will be drawn from the stack and announced in Friday’s blog. Winner to receive a book of their choice from my website bookshelf. So…what are you waiting for? Contests abound!

Then head right back over here…and DISH! Who is your pick to win it all on DWTS? And are you caring at all about the Idol finale this week? Or have you already switched loyalties to The Voice? (ME!) Are you just beside yourself excited that So You Think You Can Dance is back this week? (ME!) I watched an interview with Nigel this morning and I like how this season is shaping up and how they’re going to do the pairing. More news on that tomorrow! Now if USA Network would just HURRY and roll out my summer guilty pleasures already!! What are you most waiting for?

Tags: Writing by Donna
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So, let’s get this out of the way right off the bat. Haley goes home. Leaving two very attractive, talented teens to sing their way into our hearts on American Idol finale night. Well, your hearts. I won’t be watching. I can’t think of a more anticlimactic conclusion to this season. Yes, they will sing cheerfully and well….and there won’t be a single surprise, or anything we haven’t already heard from these two. And since either of them winning is fine with me, I’ll just skip on over to the last five minutes of Result Night for the confetti shower and call it a day. I couldn’t be less excited. Ah well! I hope a bunch of the contenders this year end up with lives altered and careers launched from there time spent on the Idol stage. I suspect it will be one of the better graduating classes.

Okay, so now on to important things. Like mud. In this case? MIssissippi Mud. Cupcakes. Oh yeah. Now, if you haven’t heard the news, I’m launching the Sugarberry Island Cupcake Club book series later this year, and to help celebrate the fun, my publisher, Kensington Books, is running a CONTEST! The winner will get his or her original cupcake recipe published in the back of my second Cupcake Club book, SWEET STUFF, available January 27. I know! It’s very exciting and instead of reading this, you should be emailing me your recipe rightthisverysecond!

To get all the details, click on the CONTEST! link in the blogroll up there under my smiling picture, and then strap on that apron and get baking!

To get you in the mood, I’m going to share here the cupcake recipe that is posted in this week’s Cakes by the Cup Blog. (That’s my alternate universe blog where you get to share with me my journey to becoming a cupcake baker as I research and write my cupcake book series…)

This week? I was motivated by all this lovely rain Mother Nature keeps dumping on us. (Btw…Mama N? We had April showers. We have May flowers. I think your work here is done. Seriously.) But there are some kinds of mud that we never get tired of…..

Southern Living Mississippi Mud Cupcakes!

Ingredients
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10.5-oz.) bag miniature marshmallows

Preparation
1. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
3. Microwave 1 cup butter and semisweet chocolate in a large microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
4. Whisk sugar and next 5 ingredients into chocolate mixture. Spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.
5. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until puffed. Sprinkle evenly with 2 cups miniature marshmallows, and bake 5 more minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, and cool cupcakes in muffin pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans, and place on wire rack. Drizzle warm cakes evenly with Chocolate Frosting, and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
1. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth.

Now, was I right, or was I right? These are crunchy, gooey, chocolatey goodness in a paper cup.

Okay, time to announce this week’s Free Stuff Friday contest winner! Thank you to all who entered. The winner this week of a free book from my website bookshelf is? Steph Ella! Wahoo, Steph! Just email me a few title ideas (in case I’m out of your first choice) and an address and I’ll get your prize in the mail to you!

Check in on Monday for the next Free Stuff Friday contest announcement! (And check out Cakes by the Cup Blog right now and enter to win a Southern Living cookbook!) Then start going through that recipe box and send me your cupcake recipe and get in on the CONTEST! fun!

DISH!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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What a week! It was only Wednesday night and my DVR was already panting from exhaustion. Between the season finales of pretty much everything I watch on television, PLUS the dancing, AND the singing….well, it’s a good thing I’m a (very late) night owl!

So, first, the finales. I started with Castle, (because, who wouldn’t?) which left me all verklempt and loving Nathan Fillion even more than I did before, and here I thought that was kind of impossible. But that airport scene? Are you kidding me? Sigh. And then I moved on over to The Good Wife, where we finally got Will and Alicia deep in each other’s personal space. So, on a major romance high, I switched over to suspense and watched NCIS: LA, and oh, Hetty, oh Callen. Not to mention a sweet side dish of LL Cool J. Honestly it was almost too much. So, naturally I needed a little Mark Harmon, you know, just to round things out. The NCIS finale was taut, but that cliffhanger? You’re giving it to D’Noze? Well, they can’t all be winners, but they do have my attention with the new SecNav. However, even after all that…it turned out I saved the best for last. Hawaii 5-0. Now that? THAT is how you do a season finale. Wow. And then wow. And then Oh. My. God.

Seriously. Is it fall yet? (And I haven’t even gotten to Grey’s and the Mentalist yet. The commercials for Mentalist with that haunting Mad World melody and Patrick Jane looking all devastated? I’m going to have to work my way up to that one. He clearly needs a hug. And I’m pretty sure I should be the one who gives it to him.)

I had barely gotten over the Tuesday Finale-palooza wee hour marathon when I had to gear up for Final Three night on American Idol. And, you know…it was a very decent performance show, nothing horrifying, and with some stellar moments as well. Well, one anyway. Haley getting to rock out to Zepplin with her dad on stage on guitar? That was a once in a lifetime deal that was a pure pleasure to watch. Also the highlight of the night. A shame it came so early on.

The thing that stood out to me, other than the fact that Iovine and the judges gave Haley pretty much the hardest set to sing in AI Final 3 history, was her seasoned professionalism in contrast to the two youngsters. And I thought both Scotty and Lauren did just fine. But it’s the same ol same ol, very good performance that sounds exactly the same as every other performance they give every week, in pretty much their very singular range of delivery. Don’t get me wrong. They’re both endearing, and I think they both have mad talent. I just don’t feel compelled to download anything they sing, nor would I be lining up to buy tickets. Their lane is getting ruts in it….and they’re getting deeper every week.

Haley, on the other hand, makes me wonder, every week, where she’ll go and what she’ll sing. (Because Zepplin? Really?) I like her bluesy voice, and yes, I wish she’d dial down the growl a bit, only because I like her bluesy soul voice even more, but this is the Idol Stage and it demands Big Notes, so she does what she does. But I find her the most career ready. Scotty is a close second, purely voice wise, but not sure about his age. Lauren most definitely needs a few more years to grow up before being thrown to the wolves.

So, all that said? I hope it’s Lauren who exits tonight. But I honestly have zero idea who will head out. At least that makes it interesting. But is anyone really excited by the idea of watching Lauren and Scotty in the finale? For the first time in all my seasons watching this series, other than maybe checking in to see the Huge Fabulous Star they get to duet with, I’d otherwise just fast forward to the end to see who gets the confetti shower. Not kidding. I’m more caught up in The Voice at this point, at least as it pertains to watching folks sing. (And wow, do they sing!)

What say you, blog babes? Who is your pick to win it? Who do you want in the finals? Or did you give up back when Casey went home?

Don’t forget to enter both Free Stuff contests this week! Both winners will be announced in their respective blogs tomorrow. So check out Monday’s blog post here for the details, then head over to Cakes by the Cup Blog (where I’m dispensing cupcake advice while I research my upcoming Sugarberry Island Cupcake Club books!) and see what’s shakin’ and bakin’ over there.

And while you’re there, click on the big ol’ CONTEST! link at the top (or in the blogroll right here on this page!) to find out how to get your very own cupcake recipe published in the back of my second Cupcake Club book, SWEET STUFF! No, I’m totally not kidding! Hurry! I want to see your recipe!! More importantly, I want to taste it!! My editor and I are already excited about the incoming recipes and I’m planning my first in a series of test-bake-a-thons this weekend. So get in on the fun!!

And then come on back here and DISH!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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So, show of hands. Who teared up after Kym & Hines’ first dance last night on Dancing with the Stars? (Me! Me!) I think seeing a replay of her neck injury during their rehearsal for the first time just before they stepped on the floor to dance really unnerved him. I know it would have unnerved me! And Kym saying she wasn’t sure she wanted to compete after what had happened. Then such an emotional, gorgeous tango they performed…. Well, who wouldn’t tear up? I loved their dance. And their second dance, though to bizarre “music” that I think was beyond a challenge to dance to, they made a lot of fun. So I was happy with the dual perfect scores they received.

Not so happy with the Mark/Chelsea performances. I didn’t see what the judges saw in their Argentine Tango, as I thought Chelsea looked pretty good. (On re-watching, I could see their point, but it certainly hadn’t been my first impression.) But for all that Chelsea is working so hard and dancing very crisply and cleanly, my annoyance with her partner, Mark, has grown to fast-forward-finger twitch levels that are almost impossible to restrain. The googly faces, the short pants and spats, the over-dancing, and the whining in practice. Mark. It’s really not all about you. So count me incredibly frustrated by that whole Instant Cha Cha thing they had at the end of the evening, where the winner gets a whopping 15 points added to their judging total, and everyone else, nada.

I initially suspected it was in order to give Ralph a much-needed boost, but they’ve run the bus over him so many times now, he’s beyond saving, I think. I mean, I do get the criticisms, but for all that I adore Kirstie and Maks, comparatively speaking, she and Ralph should be getting an equal share there, and they’re not. Then Bruno went and sunk to whole new subterranean lows of tastelessness last night with his critiques for them (and I know it was just a tacky, classless play on words which is Bruno’s forte, but honestly, at what point do we muzzle the man? That was squicky and gross.)

Kirstie and Maks did their Kirstie/Maks-i-ness routines well and hung in there fairly respectfully. I don’t think she should win the whole thing, but I’ve enjoyed anticipating the “what will they do next” from them every week, so I’m glad they’ve continued forward. But, in all honesty, I’d rather see Ralph dance and entertain than Chelsea, who is a far superior dancer, but unfortunately comes saddled with a partner I can’t stand to watch. And what was up with singing along with their songs last night? Seriously distracting.

So, looks like Ralph heads out tonight, unless the ABMBS (Anyone But Mark Ballas Squad) manages to pull the upset of the century by devoting every single vote to Karina and Ralph. Yeah, I know. Won’t happen. But it’s a nice fantasy to contemplate Ballas’ expression when he’s the shocking elimination. Just once. Just sayin.

At this point, and especially after last night, I’m pulling for Hines all the way. I hope he takes this thing!

But, before we get to DISHing about the dance floor, I have an important CONTEST update! I’ve gotten a few questions from hopeful cupcake baker contestants so I want to clarify a few things. The recipe needs to be original in that you didn’t get it from a published, sold-in-stores cookbook, or online somewhere. If it’s an old family recipe, or one that has been handed down to you, that’s fine. It doesn’t have to originate with you personally, it just can’t come from a published source. And that leads to the other clarification. When the rules state the recipe can’t have been previously published nationally distributed publication, that means books, magazines, etc. that would have been sold in stores. It does not mean your local annual church cookbook, or volunteer charity cookbook, or any other regional format in which it might have appeared. I hope that helps! Please don’t hesitate to ask if you’re unsure of any of the rules. (And if you haven’t heard about the contest at all? Click on that CONTEST! link at the top of the blogroll at your right and get in on all the yummylicious fun!!)

And keep those recipes coming!!

Don’t forget to enter the regular weekly Free Stuff contests. Check out Monday’s blog post here for this week’s entry rules (scroll to the bottom of the blog post) then head on over to Cakes by the Cup Blog (my cupcake site dedicated to the Sugarberry Island Cupcake Club books and my never-ending cupcake research….) and get the details on entering that weekly contest as well. (Also at the end of that blog entry. But please, stop and jot down that recipe, too, while you’re there! Mmmmm!)

And now? DISH!! Who is going home tonight on DWTS? Who do you want to win? And who can’t wait for So You Think You Can Dance to start?? ME!! May 26th can’t get here soon enough!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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First, I have to apologize for not announcing the Free Stuff Friday contest winner on, well…you know….Friday. I got so excited telling you all about the big Kensington Books contest that I got all sidetracked. What, you don’t know about the Original Cupcake Recipe contest? Well–wait, wait, before I get sidetracked AGAIN!

Thank you all for entering last week’s Free Stuff Friday contest. The winning Blog Babe is? Sherie L!! Wahoo, Sherie! Check out my bookshelf here and send me a few title ideas (in case I’m out of your first pick) to donna@donnakauffman.com and I’ll get your book out to you!

And now on the new contest info! Scroll up and read all about the Original Cupcake Recipe contest. Running rightthisverysecond through June 15, you can send me an original cupcake recipe and, if your recipe is chosen as the winner, it will be published in the back of SWEET TALK, the second in my Sugarberry Island Cupcake Club book series, starting with SUGAR RUSH this December, followed by SWEET TALK in January. We’ll even work in mention of the cupcake name into the book itself! Sweet, right? I know!

You can also head over to my Cakes by the Cup Blog page and click on the CONTEST! link at the top of the page to read all about it, anytime you wish!

What are you waiting for? Get baking!!

And, like that was WINNING enough for you? Of course not! Also over on Cakes by the Cup, there is the weekly free book giveaway. Read the current post there for the details. AND! Naturally, we’re having a Free Stuff Friday contest here this week as well. I might even announce the winner ON Friday this time!! Hey, it could happen! Just drop me an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “So much free stuff! Some of it should be MINE!” in the subject line. One winning blog babe’s name will be drawn and announced right here. On Friday. Seriously.

Good luck to all you Reader Blog Babes and Baker Blog Babes!

Ready…..set……GO!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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So, show of hands….who was stunned by the departure last night on American Idol? ME!

But before I get to all the Idol DISH, I have some other, far more exciting contest DISH to share with you!

All the many details and awesome recipe info is posted over on my Cakes by the Cup Blog today, but here’s a bit of the opening, including the HUGE contest announcement!

Howdy Happy Cupcake Bakers! It’s time for you to fire up your test kitchens, too! My wonderful publisher, Kensington Books, is launching a contest, which will be announced through my Cakes by the Cup blog website, my Donna Kauffman site, as well as via my Facebook page and Twitter account…of (drum roll…….)

The Original Cupcake Recipe Contest!!

Here’s the deal: you submit your original cupcake recipes to me, and on June 15, 2011, we’ll announce one lucky winner from the entries! The winner will have his or her original cupcake recipe published, with full credit, of course, in the back of the second Sugarberry Island Cupcake Club book, SWEET TALK, due to hit the shelves the end of January 2012!

How cool is that??

You may enter as many cupcake recipes as you wish, but each one must be submitted separately. Recipes will be accepted via this email only: donna@donnakauffman.com and must include your full name (first, last), your city/state/country, and a full list of ingredients and step by step instructions. (No photos required.) Yes, this means international cupcake bakers, you’re included, too!

This is all the fine print: When you submit your recipe, you are agreeing that you are 18 years of age or older, that you are submitting an original recipe that has not previously been published in any nationally or internationally distributed publication. You are also agreeing to allow Kensington Books to publish your recipe, edited as needed for formatting purposes, and credit the recipe to you.

Selection of the winner is at the sole discretion of Donna Kauffman and Kensington Books. All recipes must be submitted by midnight, EST, June 13, 2011. The winner will be announced June 15th, via the same formats as this announcment (websites, Facebook, Twitter.) The winner will be contacted directly via the same email used to submit the recipe. (To follow me on Facebook and Twitter, go to my regular blog. Links are in blogroll on the right, at the top.)

AND! It is the hope of myself and my editor, the fabulous Alicia Condon, that we can make a tweak here or there to the already completed SWEET TALK manuscript so that the name of your cupcake recipe also appears somewhere in the book itself!

SO…how fantastic is this?? There will be other Fun Free Stuff giveaways that will tie in with the actual releases of both books, including cookbooks, hand-made, original design cupcake aprons, and more. Those details will be announced closer to the publications dates!

And yes, in the meantime, I will continue, via Cakes by the Cup Blog, to share with you my own research trials and tribulations (as well as the awesome cupcake recipes!) as I continue working on the next book in the series, BABYCAKES! Oh, and of course, I’ll be giving away free stuff weekly, as I’ve been doing since the launch of this blog back in January of this year. See below, after the recipe, for this week’s entry info!

Are you excited? Are you strapping on your test kitchen aprons I type? I hope so! I cannot wait to see all the delicious cupcake baking goodness that lands in my email box.

Now, head on over to Cakes by the Cup Blog for a sneak peek at one of the recipes that will be published in the back of SUGAR RUSH! (Scroll down past the above info!) And! In the future, my weekly Cakes by the Cup blog posts will also be posted here, for your one-stop, cupcake baking convenience!

Okay, so now that I have your adrenaline pumping and your inner cupcake baker all excited, let’s talk about what the heck happened last night on American Idol. So, in all the polls I saw yesterday, pre-show, every one of them, with varying but close percentages, had Lauren heading out first, followed in short order by Haley, then Scotty. James didn’t even make the poll lists. Out of four possible entries. That’s how safe James was. So…do you think in our collective rush to save Haley, that the mass assumption that James didn’t need our help was what led to his shocking and swift demise? I say shocking, because, come on….no one saw that coming. He was the only one of the four never in the bottom to that point. I’d have been shocked to just have him in the bottom two, of those four, much less the one getting the boot. And yet…que sera sera James.

All in all, I thought he held it together fairly well there in the end. Props to Ryan for the assist in that. I didn’t get to see all of his sing out as my DVR cut off, and sure, it was all over the place, but I was thankful he had that outlet in which to channel all of his obvious crushing disappointment and disbelief because if left to continue to talk on stage…well, I’m glad Ryan gave him a microphone.

So, we’re left with an All Country Finale. And Haley. What are her odds of making Final 2? Well, if the look on JLo’s face last night when Haley was announced safe has anything to say about, or the little to no time given Haley during that otherwise overly long Windows 7 plug filler during the show last night (Hi Dad! Bye Dad!) then the answer is…less than zero. But then, we see how well that’s worked out for them so far. I was happy for both Lauren and Haley last night, mostly because both of them were convinced they were cannon fodder.

Can Haley go all the way to Final 2? I honestly wouldn’t even hazard a guess. What I will say is Welcome to the Idol Crown, Scotty! Because I think he’s pretty much a lock to win it at this point. Don’t you?

Let me know what you’re thinking out there! DISH!! And then get in that kitchen and bake up some cupcakes!!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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American Idol Final Four. I wish I loved it more. Or at all. I did love Gaga as mentor. Loved. Wackadoo and yet, insightful.

So, the Haley Bus was selling tickets again last night. No, not the bandwagon bus, the bus Randy and JLo use to run her over. Repeatedly. Now, I wasn’t a huge fan of her treatment of Earth Song, because I happen to adore that song and this didn’t do it justice. But then something Haley said, in response to Randy’s picking on her about the way she scream/sang the ending, that she didn’t think she should change that….stuck with me. So, I went and played MJ’s version, which I’ve owned since it was recorded, and which sticks in my memory mostly because of the haunting opening and build up to the first big power chorus, and two things popped out at me. One, was that you can’t take a 5 or 6 minute song and do the slow build justic in a 90 second American Idol performance, so it deeply suffered for the arrangement, about which she could do nothing (except not pick that song, which, agreed, maybe she shouldn’t have), and secondly…I’d apparently forgotten entirely that MJ screams through the end of the song EXACTLY as Haley did. Now, does that still make it a great performance? No. But did it deserve the full on thrash? Also no.

I didn’t mind Haley’s rebuttal in this case, first because she was trying to say she stayed true to MJ’s version - which was simply the truth -and she also corrected Randy that her range was, in fact, higher than that, which she’s proven repeated times. But, mainly I didn’t mind her FINALLY standing up for herself, because she takes the relentless criticism in stride, but there is a limit to how much one person is supposed to take when NO ONE ELSE gets a critique. No one. Scotty, James, and Lauren can, and often do, come out with performances all over the map, because this is a live show, in front of millions, and mistakes are made, no surprise there….but it is rare they get critical “help” and on the rare occasion the judges don’t love them, they still heap the praise to leaven it. Haley? Not so much. And thank you Steven Tyler for standing up for her and not taking it anymore, either.

And when Randy really hammered it home, and Haley was like “okay, I get it already, you don’t need to keep pounding me” she’s the reviled one for having an attitude? Really? It was more “Ouch! Come on, guys!” Anyone who felt she was out of line hopefully took it all right back when Ryan did the Summation of Round 1 and when asked who won the round, Randy goes, “Well, it’s a tie between Scotty, James and Lauren.” Um.. Wow. WOW. Just….unnecessary. Because didn’t we already just the beat the hell right out of her the first time? As Zev would say, Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Again, it’s not that the criticism isn’t fair, or warranted from the judges perspective, their opinion, their job, but then apply it equally. Because Scotty comes out and does a throwaway version of Youngblood and that’s fabulous? Really? When we’re hearing you have to slay every song and give amazing performances because it’s Final Four and yet that karaoke deal earned praise and zero criticism? Same with Durbin’s Journey performance. It was okay, but it wasn’t remotely special, and if you turn your back to the tv, often off pitch and out of tune. But do they offer that in addition to the praise? Nada.

And yes, they gave Haley standing O’s both this week and last after the harsh first round, but that’s just like saying it’s okay to be in an abusive relationship as long as the person pummeling you tells you something nice later. And this time her expression reflected that. She gets zero harsh from me for that. I was right there with the “seriously, thanksomuch” eyes. And then they had the nerve to take credit for “pulling” that amazing performance out of her by pushing her so hard? Um…pretty sure she does that every week with or without your “help.” Again, I compare to an abusive relationship. Maybe sending her home is the humane thing to do at this point, like telling an abused woman to head to a shelter, but I want her in the final two so bad now I can taste it, so I’m conflicted.

I thought Lauren did a great job with her first song, though some rough notes, one in particular in the middle, and she has crazy breathing issues when she sings. Nary a mention of any of that along with the praise. No “help” for Lauren. And while I did like her entrance on the second song, as it was the most mature attack of a performance I’ve seen her, again, by halfway through, she had all kinds of breath control problems and by the end, it was really not good. Overall, a very good night for her and several leaps forward, all deserving the praise she got, but where’s the balance in the critique? Where was her “push” and “help?” (And, seriously, Lauren, if you can’t sing “I’m evil” and sell it without having a major panic attack about how it will affect your image, then for crying out loud, do us all a favor and pick another song. Wow, but that was annoying.)

And don’t even get me started on Scotty choosing to sing a 9/11 song on inspiration week when he was, what, 5 years old when it happened? Really, Scotty? Sorry, he did a nice, Scotty job with it, but that felt like pandering for the vote for me. Big time. Any other week, maybe not, but a week after we take out Osama from a 17 year old kid? Kinda. And then he sings Youngblood and doesn’t even deliver on the parts he could have pulled off? But…no. No harsh words or “help” for Scotty.

So, Haley? You get a pass from me for standing up for yourself. God knows, somebody has to. Thank you, again, Steven Tyler. And hey, when Steven is the voice of reason? Just sayin…..

Who goes home? Lauren might, despite a generally strong night. If it were me, I’d send Scotty. He’ll have his career, he’s done all he can do. Now it’s so repetitious I can’t watch him anymore. James lacks a little depth in his vocals sometimes, despite his amazing range, but way makes up for it with performance and arrangement in a way Scotty can’t come close to touching. Haley attacks every performance and is unique most weeks in some way. Lauren is spottier, though she does compel me to watch her. Except then I mostly want to hug her. And make her grow up faster. She’s going to have to. Soon.

So…it would be Lauren or Scotty for me, comparatively speaking. Because, of these four, in the end, I want to see Haley and James battle it out in the F2. Scotty would bore me in the F2. I could handle Lauren, but what else can she bring? She can’t mature fast enough in a week or two to make it a truly interesting battle. James would stomp her flat. At least with James and Haley you know they’d both throw it down. Hard. And from those two, a win for either would be fine with me. Ultimately, I think it should go to James. I’m not advocating Haley as the best singer or performer in the competition, as I think they all bring something unique to the deal…I’m just asking for a more equal spread of all that “help” they’re offering, that’s all.

Of course, if it is those two, well…it will be the single most lopsided judging of the final two in the history of AI….but at least we’re prepared.

Sigh. Results show night is going to be interesting…. And? Let the DISH begin! Check in tomorrow for this week’s Free Stuff winner (see Monday’s blog for entry details) and all other contest and book release info! I think I need a nap now…

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Fun Stuff! I got the advance sneek peek cover art for the next Christmas anthology, UNWRAPPED, which will feature the final story in my HOT SCOT trilogy!

Yes, it’s back to Kinloch and a chance to see Shay Callaghan get his happily ever after with Kira McLeod. And I’m lucky enough to be included in an anthology with NYT Bestseller, Erin McCarthy, and Kate Angell! Win-win all around! Release date: September 27th!

Check out the cover art and back cover copy!

From the streets of Chicago to the back roads of Kentucky to the wild dunes of a Scottish isle, mistletoe and mischief are this season’s hottest gifts…

Blue Christmas
New York Times bestselling author ERIN MCCARTHY
While a blizzard blankets the world outside, Blue Farrow burrows into the arms of her highway hunk at the No Tell Motel. The road might be closed for dangerous conditions, but the couple navigates their own Kentucky Christmas curves. Nice and oh-so-naughty, Blue and her man open up to each other as they keep the Yule log burning.

Santa in a Kilt
USA Today bestselling author DONNA KAUFFMAN
The wind-whipped December sands of the isle of Kinloch invigorate Kira McLeod as she sets out to tame rugged Shay Callaghan, a Scottish bachelor as wary of a wedding ring as a snowman is of the hot sun. It’ll take all the wiles of the canny islanders to weave a perfect Celtic Christmas for all….

Snow Angel
National bestselling author KATE ANGELL
Snowed under in Chicago, free spirit Allie is trapped in Dutton’s department store on Christmas Eve when the lights go off and the holiday romance heats up. Our snow angel finds herself face to face with the dashing Aiden, the heir to the retail riches and her host for a night of winter wonder….

Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com.

I didn’t forget about the DWTS DISH! Last night on the actual results show, I thought the entertainment was superb, possibly one of the best all around they’ve had. Loved the Aussie singer, Delta, she even made me like Michael Bolton again, and Adele was simply fabulous. Plus, the brothers were adorable. And? Travis Wall! I also thought the dance with Anna & Dmitry was one of the loveliest I’ve ever seen on the show. Simply stunning. All in all, a very entertaining hour.

In the end, they had Ralph, Chelsea & Romeo await their fate (though Tom made it clear that wasn’t necessarily the bottom three.) I figured it was Ralph or Romeo anyway, with it likely being the latter….and it was. Romeo did a lot this season and has a lot to be proud of. Compared to where and who he was when this whole process started, he has a lot to be proud of. Nice exit, too. Good on you, Romeo!

Now don’t you forget to enter this week’s contest! See Monday’s post for all the details! And? Tune in right here tomorrow for all the Idol Dish and the Big Announcement about my new Sugarberry Island Cupcake Club series launching this December!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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