Aspiration

I am riding the Bike for Breath next month! Joanne organized team Aspiration...and Dan and I aspire to ride 50 miles with her and Newt. Arrow, our team mascot, is more interested in sunbathing than cycling.


Solar powered beagle

We did a training ride over the weekend, and what better motivator than cupcakes? We're hoping to convince Joanne's sister Jenny and her husband to ride with us. Go Jenny and Andy! In addition to strawberry surprise cupcakes, I made black-bottom cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting.


Mmm...chocolate...

The cream cheese filling was pretty good too.


Inside the black-bottom

Joanne and Newt recently returned from their European honeymoon, and she brought back lots of goodies! (She always brings yummies from her travels.) The Bueno and Tronky bars have been devoured, and I've sampled the Pear Pims and Bonne Maman tartlettes...tasty!


Yummy loot

They visited the Museo de la Xocolata in Spain (a chocolate museum...wow!), and got a chocolate cookbook for me...I'll have to brush up on my Spanish to try the recipes.


Xocolata loot

And she also got me some pretty things in Italy: a cupcake tea strainer, lovely Florentine paper, and a floral glass necklace charm.


Pretty loot

Thank you Joanne! It's time to ride our bikes now!