Cupcakes for Mother's Day

2. Follow the cake mix instructions, substituting 1 cup buttermilk for whatever amount of water is called for and using 4 eggs regardless of instructions. Beat with an electric mixer until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes more.

3. Spoon half of the batter into a large zipper-closed plastic bag, press out the air, and seal. Snip a 1/4-inch corner from the bag. Fill the paper liners two-thirds full of batter. Repeat with the rest of the batter and another bag.

4. Bake until golden (if using a light-colored mix) and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 25 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the baking pans, place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before icing with your favorite frosting.

Per cupcake (yellow cake, made with 1/3 cup vegetable oil): 135 calories; 6g fat; 1g saturated fat; 35mg cholesterol; 2g protein; 18g carbohydrate; 10g sugar; no fiber; 165mg sodium; 40mg calcium.

Adapted from "What's New, Cupcake?" by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson (Houghton Mifflin, 2010)

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Vanilla buttercream frosting

Yield: Enough for 15 to 20 standard cupcakes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup 2 percent milk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Food coloring, optional

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, milk, vanilla and half of the sugar until smooth. Gradually add the remainder of the sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.

2. For colored frosting, start with one drop of food coloring and beat thoroughly, which will result in a pale pastel color. Add one drop at a time, beating after each addition, to reach the desired shade.

Per serving (based on 20): 120 calories; 1.5g fat; 1g saturated fat; 5mg cholesterol; no protein; 26g carbohydrate; 25g sugar; no fiber; no sodium; no calcium.

Adapted from "Cupcakes From the Primrose Bakery" by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas (Kyle Books, 2009)

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Cream cheese frosting

Yield: Enough for 24 standard cupcakes

Gifts for Mom

Gift books for gardeners

Last-minute shoppers, this is for you: recommended books for the mom who loves to garden (or might want to use her floral bounty for modern DIY flower arrangements). As you'll see, these authors might provide just the right gift ideas. Pair a book with a spring bouquet? Or perhaps with a botanically accented cocktail? Read on ...

What we're spending on mom

While traditional gifts such as flowers, sweaters and gift cards are usually popular, many you will splurge this year and treat mom to that tablet, smartphone or sparkly necklace she's been eyeing since Christmas.

Here's a rundown on what we plan to shell out for mom. For the complete annual survey, see NationalRetailFederation.com.

Spring-inspired Mother's Day gift ideas

Destiny Gdalman / Chicago Shopping

3:31 p.m. CDT, April 1, 2013

Sometimes Mother's Day and spring seem to go hand-in-hand. What other time of year can we celebrate the bright, warm days ahead while honoring the bright, warm spots we hold in our hearts for the women who've made it their mission to show us nothing but unconditional love, our mothers. And like love, gifts for moms can come in many shapes and sizes. We've pinned a few of our favorites from around the web that send out glowing vibes of sunny days yet to come.