Just don't order one in a bar in Ireland (again)

Tom's birthday is next week and I wanted to find a good way to celebrate it.  Although a St. Patty's Day birthday seems like it should be awesome, most years his birthday also falls during a busy time in the semester, so Tom often misses out on much celebrating.

Left-overs

I thought he'd enjoy a celebration with friends, so I planned a surprise weekend and invited several of his local guy friends.  His brother also drove down from Pittsburgh, which was a huge surprise.  I told Tom to plan on a weekend off from studying (didn't want him to fall behind on his reading/writing schedule), but nothing more.  I learned from others that he was convinced we were going out of town for the weekend; fortunately, I don't think he was disappointed by good food, golfing, and lots of beer.

What's a birthday without cupcakes?  For the past several years I've made Funfetti cupcakes for Tom's birthday.  Tacky, synthetic, and surprisingly  delicious.  I stumbled upon this recipe a few months ago, though, and knew they were perfect for my beer, whiskey, and Irish-loving, born-on-St.-Patty's-Day husband.  Tom's a big fan of Irish Car Bomb's in drink form, so I suspected its namesake cupcake would be a hit.  I was right.

Chocolate and Guiness cupcake with whiskey ganache filling and Bailey's buttercream frosting

Smitten Kitchen's Chocolate, Whiskey, and Beer (aka Irish Car Bomb) Cupcakes were a big hit.  I may still have a hard time making popcorn, but I have found some successes in the kitchen!