Tired Thursday

Well, it's Thursday, so you know what that means.....

As school is coming to a close, so should my energy and yet I keep finding just a little extra here and there.  

Monday afternoon we had a surprise wedding and baby shower for some co-workers.  I had the job of "secretly" setting it up.  The hard part was that my teammate was one of the "surprised" and of course she's also on the social committee so she wanted to set up for the wedding shower. Kinda crazy- luckily I have some pretty fabulous children who helped me. 

Tuesday: End of the year staff meeting.

Wednesday: Retirement party for two colleagues and tearing apart my room. Thankfully I have many hands who want to help.  So I let the kids do centers while I throw stuff out and pack stuff away and wipe tons of dust off of things haven't been used. 
Made panda cupcakes for all of my students- therefore was up until waay past my bedtime

Thursday, today, we had our end of the year pizza class party, school dance and I'm attempting to have my students put on some plays. And....for some reason the parents think it is going to be some BIG deal?! No, it's the end of the year, I'm trying to keep the kids busy and fluent and doing something they enjoy doing.  We won't be using a stage, no full costumes. Sorry parents.....I am a achiever, but not that huge at the end of the year.  

Tonight, finishing gifts for students, photos and cleaning up the house.

I am TRULY going to miss these kids. I loved my 17 boys and 10 girls.  While I may have had 3 or 4 children who some "issues," I still loved them.  I have been teaching for 7 years and while I've liked most of my classes, there have only been 2 that have really won my heart.   A fourth grade class and this year's class.  I would loop with them and I know they would love that and so would I.  However, I also love the team that I work on and I fear that if I loop I would never get back to my team again, so unfortunately I miss bid adieu, farewell, adios and au revoir to my babies. They've grown up so much.  I hope and pray that they won't become the menaces that were the 5th and 6th graders this year.  I fear for some of these lil ones.  

I guess I'm selfish, I don't wanna share them with anyway. LOL

Meatloaf Cupcakes?!?

Hobby of the Day: Cooking

I am a fan of Skinny Taste's blog.  Healthy eating, yummy recipes and not too difficult to make.  I found a recipe on her site for meatloaf cupcakes with whipped potato frosting. And....since you know I love cupcakes I thought why not try a savory cupcake?! 

We had all the ingredients except for the zucchini.  I actually tweaked the recipe a whole lot.  I also am not a fan of onion unless it is really cooked. If it is crunchy then it's a no go, I guess I just like the flavor of onion, but onion powder just doesn't do it like the real deal sometimes.  

This is her recipe here. This is my alternated version.

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 tsp of coarse salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

1 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning

1 egg

1/4 cup ketchup (I added less, next time I will go with BBQ sauce)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 slice of bread chopped up (I used my husband's 15 grain bread, which was healthy and all, but some of the grains added a weird texture) next time I might try Italian bread crumbs- I'll let you know how that goes

* for a few of the little "cupcakes" I added a little heat with some cayenne pepper, you know how I love that spice

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients up and add to cupcake baking cups

2) Make sure to flatten and not fill higher than the baking cup

3) Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 18-20 minutes or until done

4) Remove from muffin tin and set aside

* Here's where I cheated (I know, GASP) I didn't make my mashed potatoes from scratch. I just didn't have the energy or time to do it....I know, lame excuse. Next time I promise I will do better.

I did, however pipe my mashed potatoes through my icing bag. I think they looked pretty cute and pretty scrumptious.  And personally, I liked the cayenne ones better. 

Bon Appetit!

Date Night!

Every so often Gary and I have a "date night." Usually it's on him to plan, he spends more time on the computer so he has time to figure out a nice restaurant.  A typical date night consists of dinner and a movie.  We don't go to the movies often because it is so expensive....hmmm maybe I should get a part-time job at a movie theater...free movies...We don't usually dress up when we go out to dinner, but for date night we spruce it up a little instead of looking like the bums we usually do. I know, don't we look fancy?!

Gary made a reservation downtown at The Hamilton, which apparently also has live entertainment.  The restaurant is part of the Clyde's chain, another restaurant we enjoy.  The menu looked good, not that Gary would choose a restaurant that didn't have good food options. They bring you your own water bottle and some hearty, crusty bread. We got the lettuce wraps to start. He got a Manhattan and I got my favorite, a mojito.  

For dinner, he decided to splurge on the filet mignion, the 8oz! Crazy, but that at least allowed me to have a generous bite. It came on a bed of mashed potatoes and garlic sauteed spinach.  I decided to go for the open faced BBQ brisket, for some reason I've been craving good BBQ.  It came with mac n' cheese, coleslaw and onion straws and texas toast.  What I didn't realize was that it was going to come all piled on top of the texas toast (they even cut the crusts off the toast). It was a little messy, but supper yummy. I couldn't even finish it all. I was also trying to save room for dessert. Overall, I'd give The Hamilton an A.

We opted to pass up dessert there and head to Georgetown to see what sweets we might encounter there. Of course it was raining when we left and we were metroing and walking. Luckily I threw an umbrella in my purse, just in case. There were many others who were not so lucky.  We ended up going in a few stores in Georgetown to avoid the rain.  

Dessert ended up being cupcakes at the famous LA originated Sprinkles. Y'all know I love a good cupcake and I was not disappointed. I did not get my traditional red velvet. I go s'mores which had a graham cracker bottom(a fun surprise), a chocolate cake with chocolate in the middle and was topped with marshmallow frosting. It was sooo gooey and delicious! Gary got a peanut butter chocolate- and then we shared a black and white, which was ok). Cool thing about Sprinkles is that they donate all the extra cupcakes to a local food bank. Sprinkles gets a A-

We then headed to the theater to see 21 Jump Street.  I never saw the original so I have no idea how it compares. I'm pretty sure that it is quite different than the original with Johnny Depp. It was pretty funny. we don't usually see a lot of comedies in the theater, we would rather see action movies simply because the effects seem so much "better."  I do, however enjoy seeing comedies in theaters because everyone around you is laughing equally hard, or harder! It definitely had funny parts, but also a lot of cursing. Overall, for a comedy I give it a B.

Sweet Confections!

Hobby of the day: Baking

I have decided that I am going to attempt to work through both the Martha Stewart Cupcake Cookbook as well as the Cookie Cookbook. However, I will NOT be doing it everyday. I have neither the time, nor the energy, or the money for that matter.  Thankfully both Gary and I are teachers and have students who would love to consume goodies, as well as co-workers.  Unfortunately, the summer is coming, good thing, I have more time, bad thing, who will eat them?! 
Thus begins my challenge. My goal: to bake 2-4 times a month.

I made these sweet treats for my grandmother's birthday this past weekend.  She can't really have chocolate, so..... I made Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes, pg. 26 in the cupcake cookbook.  I topped them with a vanilla butter cream recipe that I got from here.

Recipe: 
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks- room temperature
2 cups buttermilk- room temperature (** if you can't find buttermilk you can make your own, crazy I know it's really simple 1 cup of milk to 1 tablespoon lemon juice of white vinegar)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with cupcake liners. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

I heart my kitchen aid

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to medium.  Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in vanilla.

I love my cookie/cupcake scoop

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes (I did 18 and it was fine, I also forgot to rotate- I did less time because I like my cupcakes to stay moist) Transfer to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupakes onto racks and let cook completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

On to the icing: For Christmas my mom gave me a great icing tip set, most of which I have yet to use.  I wanted to make the tops of the cupcakes extra special, go that extra mile. Enter Youtube......

It took me probably 1-2 hours to make the roses.  I had never ever made icing roses before, so it took me awhile to perfect them. Then transfer them to the cupcake and add the leaves. I tried to make my leaves like the guy on the video, but then I discovered I had leaf icing tips. I still can't figure out how to get my leaves to be fully pointy, but practice makes perfect/  


My grandmother has always had a green thumb. So I made, her own edible garden.  I really wanted to make more than roses, but when all was said and done, with coloring and filling bags and finding the right tips.... I didn't have the time or energy.  Until the next time....

First Successful Rose!

Grandma's Garden

Crunkcakes

My Round Two of crunkcakes....


Today was the H street Bake Sale at the Big Board.  H street is our local hot spot...up and coming and it sure is coming... Gary and I love it, so many great bars and so many great food options.  


Cowboy Coffee
Chocolate cupcake infused with Jameson with Van Gogh Espresso Vodka and chocolate buttercream.



My husband loved this one, but for me it was too boozey haha.... but glad he enjoyed it.  I'm also not a huge fan of Jameson.

Buttery Nipple
Vanilla cake infused with Buttershots Schnapps with Bailey’s buttercream


This one I loved, probably because I love creamier things....yummers

super cute cupcake wrapper

Cupcakes!

I love cupcakes!  


I don't necessarily love eating them, unless I'm in the mood, or find a fanTAStic one.  I do however love baking them.  I started really baking about 6 years ago when we started going to small group and had to provide dessert.  I wanted to impress and so in rolled my love of cupcakes.  I won the bake off at our school with my Pumpkin Spice Muffins, a small feat.  


I've tried the cupcakes all over DC, Sprinkles,  Georgetown Cupcakes, Crumbs, Hello Cupcake, The Sweet Lobby, Alexandria Cupcake in VA.  Usually I try and choose the same one from each place.  My staple is Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting.  My favorite that I have had so far, Crumbs!  They are HUGE for one and well worth the price, considering regular size cupcakes from other places basically cost the same.  


Cupcakes in my opinion HAVE to be moist and the frosting creamy, but not overly sweet. Also, it is important that with every bite of cake that you also get a bite of frosting.  Most cupcakes need to be eaten the day of, however I have discovered that Crumbs cupcakes can last for a few days and still be most amazing!  

Recently I had the opportunity to try CrunkCakes at The Pug, a bar on our favorite street to dine out on, H Street.  They had the Irish Car Bomb and the moisture did NOT disappoint, probably helps that there is booze in it. haha...I CAN'T wait to try more.  I could taste the liquor, but it wasn't overwhelming, just enough to give it that extra burst of flavor.  

Guinness chocolate cake infused with Jamesons with Bailey’s buttercream 

Plenty of Icing