Whoa, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to keep with up the blog while I’m out of town.  I just got back from a lovely week up in Napa Valley.

Nothing better than being picked up at the airport with sunflowers and chocolates.

I did some hiking, a little wine tasting and a whole lot of eating.  I miss living up there (mainly because my boyfriend still lives in St. Helena).

After a year on my list, I finally did the cave tour and sparkling wine tastings at Schramsberg.  I also joined their membership and am looking forward to my first shipment of bubbly this October!  My boyfriend is a beer aficionado so we went to the famed Russian River Valley Brewing Company to try their double IPA Pliny the Elder on tap.  I need to come back in February when they release their special Pliny the Younger.

And finally, I had a memorable and amazing dinner at Cyrus in Healdsburg in Sonoma County.  Per Se in New York City still holds number one, followed by Alinea in Chicago, and then Cyrus is a close third.  Yes, The French Laundry reigns supreme in Napa Valley, but when you don’t want to spent the $300 per person price tag for dinner, I highly suggest Cyrus.  You won’t be disappointed.

looks like real chocolate dipped ice cream cones!

While driving around the valley, we passed by a Foster’s Freeze.  It reminded me of the hot summer days during my elementary school years when my dad would take me to get chocolate dipped ice cream cones.  I kept thinking about how I should have gotten a cone on the drive to the airport.

The weather was so nice and cool in Napa.  Now I’m back in Los Angeles and back to the awful heat.  I didn’t feel like driving out to get ice cream so I opted to make hi-hat cupcakes!  Looks like a chocolate dipped ice cream cone but it won’t give me a stomach ache (I’m lactose intolerant)– however, I can’t say much about the regret that will probably kick in after my third cupcake or so.

Hi-Hat Cupcakes, from the book Cupcakes! and Martha Stewart Show, May 2006
recipe and directions can be found through the links above.

I used half the cupcake batter to fill muffin tins and the other half to fill the mini ice cream cones.  The batter filled ice cream cones take about 15 minutes to bake

before and after the chocolate dipping