Cupcakes and Smoky Pizza

I so desperately want to be Martha Stewart - minus the snooty attitude, of course. I want to be creative in crafts, decorating, cooking and baking. I want my home to look like a model home and my yard to look like it belongs on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens.

And then there is reality.

1. I have a full-time job that occupies way too much of my time.
2. I am a very busy mommy
3. I can't decide on a decorating "style" I like and want to emulate.
4. We aren't made of money (and we refuse to live on credit cards)

I recently found this recipe in Woman's Day magazine. The cover photo of these beautiful cupcakes had fondant flowers and bees made of yellow peanut M&Ms and Tootise Rolls. I was instantly smitten and inspired! We were having guests in a few days and these cupcakes were to be the dessert.

I made everything from scratch - as the recipe instructed - with the exception of the fondant itself. However, I did color and cut the fondant. I made the little bees, too.

Dessert was preceded by a couple of take-and-bake pizzas from our local grocery store. We'd never cooked two at a time before and as I visited with our guests, I started to smell something burning. I openened the oven to find the pizza tray that came with the pizza (and yes, was supposed to go into the oven) was burning to a crisp - it was on the bottom rack and closest to the heating element. How embarassing!

I simply have no talent for preparing food for a group larger than my family of three - even if it's just putting a couple of pizzas in the oven. I want to be Martha Stewart, and it just isn't going to happen ... ever.

But the cupcakes came out cute! Not quite the high, fluffy frosting as the magazine showed (I'm certain there was some tricky photography there. Maybe there was a hidden cone in there that they covered with frosting?)

And by the way, the honey lemon frosting in this recipe is delicious!