Man has this neighborhood gone to Hell or what?

For the record- I heart Valentine's Day and all the sappy red/pink/lovey dovey accoutrements that goes with it. I plan on making so many red/pink/lovey dovey themed things this month that it's ridiculous. When else do we get the chance to shelve our sarcastic normal selves for a couple of weeks and pretend to have a soft creamy nougat center? I for one can't wait to use my V-Day cupcake liners. But that's just me and you know what they say...that Tempered Woman...she's a marshmallow (bonus points to whoever can name that show).

Yes, yes, the rumor you heard is true. I have kidnapped the Quirky Cupcake family, ehhrrr, I mean drugged, uhm no, no, *cough* just kidding here people, I've begrudgingly agreed (yeah yeah, that's it) to co-host Cupcake Hero for February with Laurie at Quirky Cupcake (she likes it when I gratuitously link to her here *major ego issues* ). And seeing as how she's such a (s)Lush she also is dragging me down into the sinful ways of her underworld *cough*liberal*cough* and forcing, uhm I mean asking me, to help her make copious quantities of alcohol themed cupcakes.

Alright, I kid. You should know by now I'm a kidder. It's what I do. But seriously. I personally think it's alcohol abuse to waste perfectly good alcohol and bake it in a cupcake. For the love of God and all that is decent people- save it for the frosting so you don't cook the good stuff out of it, will ya?!?! Alright, still kidding. Sorta.

Since I can't technically send alcohol in the mail, or verify that I'm not contributing to the delinquency of a minor, my contribution to help *sweeten* the deal (ha! get it? I crack myself up) is my two favorite alternatives to the real thing.

In addition to the fame, recognition, and finally belonging to something much bigger than yourself I'll also send the winner...

drumroll please (I can get kind of dramatic sometimes, sorry)...

...

...

...

...

Guess what it did at my house last night?

TA DAH! A box of champagne filled chocolates from Bouquet of Fruits and a 4 oz. bottle of Mexican Vanilla from Penzey's <-- the place I own stock in and the vanilla that no self-respecting cupcake baker should be without! They should be dried off by the time I ship them off to you. And perhaps the chocolate will be the Valentine's Day gift your significant other should have gotten you but was too clueless to think of and instead got you some crappy chocolates at the last minute from the corner drugstore along with a crappy card that happened to be the last one left so it's ridiculously sappy and makes you wanna vomit heart shaped sarcasm all over the place. Whatever. Drown your sorrows with these is what I'm trying to tell you. That and I have issues.

So bake your little cupcake a$$es off, enter often, do whatever is necessary to win our love and affection. Which doesn't honestly take much for me *cough*red wine*cough* but Laurie has much higher standards.

If you want to participate, you need to send your cupcakery to superslush AT gmail.com AND temperedwoman AT gmail.com (uhm, that would be me) by February 23rd. You need to be sure and send your entry to BOTH addresses, please!

Name
Your blog name and URL*
Link to your Cupcake Hero entry
Picture of your cupcakery
Remember: The theme ingredient, liquor, must be used in the cake, frosting or filling (or all of the above, oh yeah baby!).
Winner receives a super cool Cupcake Hero t-shirt from Laurie which ahehehem, I have one of I might add. Cause I'm a *SUPERSTAR!* Oh yes I are.

Laurie replies to every entry via email so if you don't get a “thank you” email from her, you probably screwed up or put too many curse words in your email causing it to be caught by her spam filter. So send again cause she isn't going into that creepy dark place known as her spam filter.

*If you don't have a blog...WHY? I mean what the heck you goofball? It's free for pete's sake and if I can throw this crappy blog together any monkey with an an opposable thumb can. (No offense to the monkeys that don't have an opposable thumb and have amazing blogs, sorry). Or you can totally woos out and email us your name, recipe, picture and notes and Laurie will feel sorry for you while I scoff and she will post it for you.

On the flip side I plan to be on a baking frenzy this week cause TOBAC is supposed to be going out of town for work. Which means I don't have to put up with his highness' pissiness over me spending our grocery money on cupcakes. Whatever. Monkey and I plan on living on baked goods for the next week. Oh, and maybe some chicken and rice soup. And more cupcakes.

SO, can you guess what it did at my house last night? Huh? Huh?