Review/Giveaway: Reazin Cupcakes (Ft. Irwin LOCAL)

Reazin Cupcakes, formally Sweet Sensations, has become a bit of a staple on Fort Irwin, a Army post in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Owner, Patricia Reazin, has been bringing unique and beautiful cupcakes to the community for around 18 months now.

It all started during her pregnancy with her little girl. Gearing up for a her baby shower, she was in search of sweet treats for her party guests. Learning that is was quite the pretty penny for a platter of cupcakes from another local baker, her husband encouraged her to try her hand at home making them. Patricia admits that she was the kind to fail at box cakes and didn’t know where to begin. It became a fun challenge that turned into a booming business! Aren’t we all glad she didn’t give up!?

Patricia loves experimenting in the kitchen and often attempts flavor combinations that she would literally dream about the night before. I was among one of her first customers, and have been a repeat customer since and always on high alert for when she would announce extras of the day!

I’m going to highlight what has been some of my absolute favorites over the last year or so.

The very first cupcakes I ever ordered were her Breakfast Madness. This set me up for the obsession of needing to see what else she can do!

This is a cinnamon streusel French toast cupcake with maple syrup filling, a maple cream cheese frosting (that is just to die for!) and topped with candied bacon and spun sugar pieces.

Seriously, do you see this, people!? These cost $2.50 each or $25/dozen

Next I want to tell you all if the most unique cupcake ive seen. Her burger Slider! I’ve never seen this done elsewhere. This is a white cupcake cut in half to form buns, a half of a chocolate cupcake slid in between to imitate the burger patty, and splashes of colored frosting to act as the various toppings. This cupcake can come with or without crunchy candied bacon. Mmm! These aren't on her current menu but I'm certain she be happy to recreate them ;)

One of her most popular cupcakes are her Lactation cupcakes. Patricia is a huge advocate for breastfeeding and has created a treat for nursing moms that aid in the upkeep of a good milk supply.

Chock full of brewers yeast and other ingredients known for their supplemental properties, these have been wildly useful for our community of moms. I myself, used these for many of the early months of my daughter’s life. I saw an undeniable increase it what I was able to produce and pump.

Aside from their medicinal use, don’t assume these don’t taste as good as any of her other winning treats. I can’t count the number of times I had to scold my husband for sneaking these from me. They are available in a variety of options such as Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Almond, and Blueberry. These are $2.50 each of $25 for a dozen.

Now for special treats that appeal to the adult sweet tooth! Some of my favorite Reazin treats are for the 21 and over crowd. That’s right folks, booze!

First up, Dark Chocolate Moscato. How decadent does that sound? A moist dark chocolate cupcake topped with a unbelievably fluffy and sweet red moscato mousse, and a handcrafted red moscato drizzle. This cupcake is so light and airy with a beautiful touch of sweet wine. These are wonderful after a long day of cranky kids - I speak from much experience. These are $2.50 each or $25/dz.

Maybe wine isn’t your thing? How about Dark Chocolate Vodka Raspberry?

This soft chocolate cake is low fat and low sugar and topped with a rich vodka and raspberry frosting. With its real raspberry bits and bright colors this cupcake is as beautiful as it is mouthwatering. These are $2.50 each or $20 for a dozen.

However, for the sake of something for everyone, lets try this one more time.

Honey Jack Daniels cupcakes. Don’t even try to turn these down. These are a favorite of my husbands by far.

It has a base of a honey cupcake with just a hint of Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey, a creamy Honey Jack Daniels frosting to match and wouldn’t be finished without her handcrafted Jack Daniels drizzle. This is a rich heavy cupcake that is worth every bite. These are $3 each or $30 for a dozen, with a minimum order of 6.

I saved the absolute best for last. I should preface by saying I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Some might say obsessed. I own that.

Anyway… I asked if it was possible for her to create a Butterbeer cupcake. Butterbeer is a ever so slightly alcoholic foamy drink found in many locations in the Potter Universe, such as the Leaky Cauldron, Hogshead, and The Three Broomsticks. It is described as having a taste ‘a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch’.

Patricia’s insanely delicious creation is non-alcoholic, with a perfectly moist butterscotch touch. Despite not having booze in them, I assure you they are still dangerously addictive.  These are $2.50 or $25/dz.

In addition to all these that I highlighted, Reazin Cupcakes offers many more to choose from ranging from Oreo to Orange Dreamsicle. Of course, she is willing to try anything, so if you have a thought, let her bring it to life for you!


Reazin Cupcakes can be bought at any time, usually with same day delivery to the Fort Irwin community. She welcomes last minute cupcake emergency orders - with a half dozen minimum! Fort Irwin area residents can order online by joining the Facebook group here and pick them up when they're ready.

Be on the look out for weekly specials as well that do not require a minimum order amount; great for mix and matching and getting a taste of her many different creations!

In addition, she has many accommodating party packages that can include round cakes. Or maybe a GIANT cupcake cake is more your speed? Even more exciting, each of her flavors can be purchased in the form of tiny bite size cupcakes.

For those of us not in Fort Irwin, and wishing you could get your hands on some of these delicious treats - keep an eye out for upcoming good news, as she is currently working on testing how to achieve the perfect packaging to be able to ship to a mailbox near you!

She truly is the best REAZIN to eat CUPCAKES!

For our readers at Fort Irwin only, Patricia is offering a fantastic giveaway.  The giveaway will end just in time for the winner to receive 12 luscious cupcakes for Thanksgiving! - read on to see how you can enter!

https://www.facebook.com/ReazinCupcakes
To order: https://www.facebook.com/groups/754760611255681/

Reazin Cupcakes is giving away 1 dozen cupcakes to one of our Ft. Irwin readers.  The winner may select any 2 non-alcoholic flavors, and will need to plan to pick them up once ready.

To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter below, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This allows us to contact you if you win!)  This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to FT. IRWIN, CA RESIDENTS ONLY
and will end just before midnight ET on 11-23-15. 

The winner will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway.  In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.  

Once the winner has responded and confirmed, their first name will be posted on our Giveaways page. 

Good luck everyone!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Review/Giveaway Macarons by Em

I really enjoyed the chance to review Macarons by Em , a Ft. Irwin baker that sells in our local area, for a few reasons. One of which was that I would get the opportunity to highlight a fellow military spouse, which is a huge passion of mine. The next was she is local to my small community of Fort Irwin. Here especially, options are very limited for spouses to fill their time, and furthermore, help fill the wallet, and equally limited for local area residents to find interesting shopping or eating opportunities. The last reason goes without saying, but, I very much enjoy the foodie reviews—more so when it is home baked goodness!

Emily Camarillo began Macarons by Em, just recently after a trip to San Francisco earlier this year.

Not to be confused with a macaroon, (I actually thought she may have typoed her name at first…) a macaron is a meringue cookie shell filled with a soft filling. You can find them filled with various spreads such as jams, jellies or curds; Em fills hers with buttercream so they don’t have to be eaten right away.

Furthermore there are different varieties of macarons that have slight differences. Macarons by Em identify best with a French style macaron.

Based on my research for this review, it appears these things are quite the science to make. I don’t know if this is worth noting, but just to be sure – it was raining for 3 days at the time of my order and it appears one of the highest desires when baking macarons is for the driest air possible. This was my first experience with macarons of any sort.

Emily whipped up a mixed dozen of her four most popular flavor options for me to taste: Smore’s, Fruity Pebbles, Dark Chocolate Coffee and Orange Dreamsicle. My husband picked them up on his way home from work, so I never got the chance to meet her in person. However, he assured me she was extremely nice and polite with the sweetest southern accent.

When he arrived home with two adorable ribboned white boxes, I couldn’t wait to dive in. My husband and six year old were equally as giddy. It was driving them crazy that I was insisted on taking review pics before letting anyone touch them.They were about the size of a silver dollar and I was thinking, how I could eat them all in one sitting! (way wrong!)

We each grabbed for a different kind. The first I tried was the Dark Chocolate Coffee. Mmmm! It was delicious. The consistency of a macaron is hard to describe. The outer shell had a perfect light crisp to it, while the inside almost resembled the texture of a brownie. The flavor notes were spot on as I tasted both a rich chocolate and a hint of coffee all wrapped up into one. One macaron was more than enough at a time.

Later that evening when my sweet tooth stuck again, I was excited for the Orange Dreamsicle. This is, in general, one of my most favorite flavors. The macaron however, was probably my least favorite of the 4 options. It was a little too sweet for what I expected. Additionally, the chewy texture with a fruity note seemed wrong in my mind. This is simply my opinion, and my daughter disagrees wholeheartedly.

The Fruity Pebbles was my husbands favorite. He is definitely a sweet cereal fan. I found it to be the richest of the four, and was more than stuffed after a single one.

My favorite was the S'mores. It tastes exactly as you’d imagine it would. The marshmallow filling is even toasted which adds a wonderful touch.

These were definitely make with time and effort and love. I think they are absolutely wonderful and I will definitely be a repeat customer.

Now that Summer is behind us, Emily has taken a 4th grade teaching job at a local Intermediate School, thus limiting her baking time. She now only takes orders of 2 dozen or higher. Two dozen macarons can be purchased for $24, which given the artistry that goes into making these masterpieces, I think that’s well worth the price.

Aside from the 4 flavors I was given, it appears Emily is capable of producing just about any flavor or color your heart desires. These would be wonderful for any occasion!

But do be sure to eat as soon as possible. Ours were left out with two in the box, and after about a day or two, they could have broken someone’s teeth! Emily's Macarons are only available in the Ft. Irwin area.

Emily is also giving away a dozen macarons to one of our Ft. Irwin readers - read on to see how to enter!

www.facebook.com/macaronsbyem

Emily is offering one winner in the Ft. Irwin, CA local area a dozen macarons in the flavor of their choice ($12 value).

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This allows us to contact you if you win!)  This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to FT IRWIN, CA RESIDENTS ONLY
and will end just before midnight ET on 8-25-15. 

The winners will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway.  In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winner(s) have responded and confirm, their first name will be posted on our Giveaways page. 

Good luck everyone!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Review: Ready.Set.Tan.

This review is especially for our Ft. Irwin, CA readers!

Ready. Set. Tan? I’ll have to admit I was a bit nervous when I booked my spray tan with Megan. I’ve spray tanned before, but it’s always been with an automated machine. One of those “one size fits all” applications that’s not fully customizable and I didn’t have the best results. I will go ahead and say that this was a completely different experience!

Megan Baker is the owner of Ready. Set. Tan. located here on Fort Irwin, Ca. She’s been doing spray tans for 3.5 years. Megan is a certified airbrush technician by the National Spray Tanning Professional Association specializing in Sjolie Tanning products and the National Tanning Training Institute. All of her products are 100% organic, paraben free and never tested on animals. She’s been offering her services here since June 2014 and has quickly gained a loyal following.

Megan was very easy to work with from the moment I contacted her and we quickly set a date for my spray tan. She even let me know that she was “kid friendly” and I was welcome to bring my daughter if I needed to. Prior to my appointment, I was emailed a few documents. Pre-tan instructions, liability waiver, and client consultation card. I was asked to fill them all out and bring them with me.

The Pre-tan instructions went over what I should do before my appointment. It addressed the time frames that I should wax, shave, and shower to have optimal results.

In addition, Megan provided me with an 8oz bottle of Sjolie body scrub to use to exfoliate 1-2 days before my tan. It had an amazing spa like smell and I felt it left my skin very smooth. It retails for $13.

Megan works out of her home and has a lovely dedicated room for privacy during your tan. When I arrived, I gave her the liability waiver and the client consultation card. Megan looked over the consult card and we discussed how dark I wanted my tan. She then explained to me the 2 different tanning options she offers.

The rapid tan is $35 and you are able to shower 3-4 hours after your appointment. 

The other option is the traditional spray tan that you can shower after 8-10 hours. The traditional spray comes in two options: the regular for $25 and the quick dry for $30. 

The time ranges to shower off the solution depend on how dark you want your results. The longer the product stays on your skin the darker you will be. Megan will advise you based on your skin tone how long exactly you should wait until you shower.

I chose the rapid tan and we moved on to what booster I would like to try. Megan offers 2 boosters that are added to the tanning solution for $2 each. An anti-aging booster that reduces the appearance of sun damage and a slimming booster that tones and tightens skin while attacking cellulite. After, just having a baby I went for the slimming booster!

Megan then let me smell the 2 scents she can mix into the tanning solution. For $2, you can chose between pineapple and orange ginger. I chose the pineapple scent and it smelled delicious.

Other additions offered are the opalescent shimmer and the golden shimmer for $2 each. Shimmer can be done after your spray tan such as on the day of a special event.

At this point, it was time to get ready to start. Megan left the room to let me undress to my comfort level. I wore a swimsuit to be able to have areas to show comparisons of where I was tanned and not. You can tan completely nude if you would like, except men must wear at least a thong.

When Megan came back, she provided me with barrier cream to put on areas that tend to absorb more of the tanning solution such as hands, elbows, and nails. I then put “sticky feet” on which are exactly that: sticky pads for the bottom of your feet to keep from getting solution on them. I put my hair up in a hair net and chap stick on my lips to prevent getting them stained. Megan provides either personalized Ready. Set. Tan chapsticks or lip gloss to her clients. Add in a nose protector to prevent breathing in the solution and it was time to go!

To complete your spray tan, you step on to the platform and Megan gets to work! She shows you the poses she needs you in to get the best results. She was completely professional and I felt completely at ease during the whole process.

Once finished with the spray tan, Megan leaves you alone to dress. She suggests wearing loose dark clothes and flip flops home to prevent rubbing off the tanning solution. Before I left, Megan let me know the optimal time that I should wait to shower to achieve my desired results.

She also provided me with 2 more Sjolie products to assist with maintaining my tan. The body wash is specially designed to work with spray tanning solutions to keep skin hydrated. It has a lovely lavender/vanilla scent! It retails for $13 for an 8oz bottle. 

The other product was tan extend lotion which is a daily tinted moisturizer that can be used by all skin tones to match the tanning solution color. It has caffeine and anti-aging solution that helps to smooth skin and extend your tan by 2-3 days. It retails for $14 for an 8oz bottle.

I waited the allotted time to shower to let my tan develop. When you shower, it will seem like your tan is washing off. However, it is just the tint in the solution that lets the technician see what areas have been covered. After showering, I could already see that I had a nice tan.

The life span of a spray tan will vary by person, but my tan lasted around a week. I used the body wash to help extend the life of my tan because using bar soap will make your tan fade faster. It is suggested to moisturize twice daily to help your tan last longer. I used the tan extend lotion after showering and I feel it may have helped lengthen the time my tan lasted. 

Megan offers tanning parties for a minimum of 3 friends with the host being free. Details can be found on her website with the different options available. What a fun way to get ready for a special day with your friends or just have a girl’s day!

I would highly recommend Ready. Set. Tan. to anyone looking to have a gorgeous tan without the harmful effects of the sun. Spray tanning would be a great option for the upcoming military balls!

Ready. Set. Tan. offers a customer loyalty program. Tan 4 times and your 5th is free!  Also, I suggest “liking” Ready. Set. Tan’s Facebook page as she often has specials listed!

Megan Baker (951) 310-6052
http://www.readysettan.com/
https://www.facebook.com/readysettanairbrush

Shared with:
~ Masterpiece Monday,Mix It Up Monday, Mommy Monday, Mostly Homemade Monday.
~ Handmade Tuesdays, Tuesday With a Twist, Turn It Up Tuesdays, Treasure Box Tuesday, You're Gonna Love It Tuesday. 
~ Moonlight & Mason Jars, Penny Pinching Party, Wake Up Wednesday, Wednesday Roundup, What's It Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Work It Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday.
~ It's A Party, Share Your Cup Thursday,Thursday Favorite Things.
~ Brilliant Blog Posts, Foodie Friday, Freedom Friday, Fridays Unfolded, That Friday Blog Hop.
~ Dare to Share, No Rules Weekend, Saturday ShareFest, Saturday Spotlight.
~ DIY Inspired, DIY Showcase, Snickerdoodle Sunday.                 
        
     
           
     

Review: The Crumbling Cookie

I recently had the opportunity to review The Crumbling Cookie,  a local gourmet cookie business run here on Fort Irwin, CA by an Army wife.  Allison Carlock currently isn’t shipping, so these are a local delicacy only. Due to our isolated location in the middle of the Mojave Desert, we don’t have many indulgences and Allison is quickly accumulating a loyal following of fans. 

As a very pregnant lady, I was excited to say the least! I know what you’re thinking - what pregnant lady doesn't love cookies?  But these are homemade and amazing, wheather you're pregnant or not!

The Crumbling Cookie currently offers 9 varieties on its menu. They include both classics with a twist and Allison’s own creations. 

In addition to regular cookies, Chocolate Chip can be ordered as a cookie cake with either vanilla or Nutella buttercream frosting! A single layer cake is $25 and a double layer is $35. Cookies are sold by the ½ dozen for $7.50 and a dozen for $15. A frequent buyers club offers loyal customers a free ½ dozen cookies after their 12th purchase of a ½ dozen. 

I was supplied with a scrumptious sampler to review. 

The packaging is simple and clean with The Crumbling Cookie Logo. 

Included in my box were the Smore’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip, Nutella White Chocolate Chip, Classic Chocolate Chip with Sea Salt Sprinkle, and The Texan. 

When I opened the box I was greeted with a dozen large cookies that smelled delicious and fresh. 

The Smore’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip 
This cookie was the first I tried. It was a monster of a cookie because it is an actual smore that is then wrapped in a chocolate chip cookie! It was amazing the graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate center came together to give this cookie an incredible finish.

The Nutella White Chocolate Chip

What can I say other than wow? This cookie is a combo of white and semi-sweet chocolate chips with Nutella. They are mind blowing and full of unique flavor.

The Classic Chocolate Chip with Sea Salt Sprinkle

A classic favorite with a twist! The classic chocolate chip with sea salt is just like that old familiar cookie from childhood, but with a dash of sea salt to give it an extra over the top boost. 

The Texan

This cookie was my personal favorite. When I took a bite out of it, so many notes came together for an explosion of flavor. It is an oatmeal cookie loaded with white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and pecans. It has a note of cinnamon that gives it a wonderful finish.

Overall, every cookie I tried from The Crumbling Cookie was marvelous. I would highly suggest all of Fort Irwin to place an order soon to experience how yummy they are!

The Crumbling Cookie on Facebook

Hey, Fort Irwin Residents!  The Crumbling Cookie has agreed to offer a Giveaway for you folks ONLY.  

Sign up to win 1 dozen assorted cookies (your choice!).  You can either pick them up or get them delivered.  This giveaway will close just before midnight on October 1st.

Don't forget - it's mandatory to comment on this thread and give us the name you used to post your comment as well as your Fort Irwin street name.  Once you enter that info into the Rafflecopter, other entry options will become available. The more ways you enter, the higher your odds of winning.

Good luck, all!


a Rafflecopter giveaway