Back to work!

Up until last week I was really looking forward to going back to work. This morning, I'm dreading it.

I'm going to try to not let that bother me because yesterday, was a damn near excellent day. We had open house at the school last night. Walking up to the doors I was ready to throw up because I was completely worried that the Connor would get the same teacher Mason had last year, and I just wasn't going to go through that again. Thankfully, they both ended up with exactly the teachers I wanted them to get and I almost cried. I made Dave read the lists because I was terrified to do it.

Also yesterday, I sent Dave to work with 4 dozen mini cupcakes (Cinnamon toast ones and vanilla with chocolate buttercream). He kept telling me something like 'oh, they won't eat cupcakes, I'll be bringing all of them home, I bet you!'. Well? He was completely and totally WRONG! They pretty much flew out of the box. The girl who had the birthday yesterday sent me an email and thanked me repeatedly for sending in cupcakes for their food/birthday day. I'll be making other ones in a few weeks for their next birthday, for sure. I'll post pictures of the ones I sent (of course).

The only (somewhat) bad part of yesterday was giving the dog a bath. Usually when it's hot out, I'd just take him out to the driveway and hose him off but he goes apeshit when we get the hose at and growls and barks and snaps at it like it's going to attack him (it's actually hilarious to watch - because he does the same thing with the snow shovel in the winter - we don't quite understand that one). I didn't want to bug the neighbors with his barking so I wrestled him upstairs and tossed him in the bathtub. He was well behaved during the actual bath but when it was time to dry off he went nuts. We have a small bathroom, so he was literally bouncing off the walls in there. I had to clean the entire bathroom after I got him out of there, LOL.

Well, I've rambled on long enough. Wish me luck at work!

those meddling kids!

As much as I am not looking forward to going back to work now, this school year really can't start fast enough.

I'm sick of chasing the neighborhood kids from two houses down out of my somewhat fenced in backyard (it's fenced in on three sides which means the would either have to hop the fence from the yard next door or get to our yard from our driveway). This afternoon I caught them in between our house and the empty house that's for sale next to us throwing rocks and things at our side window that is at the bottom of our stairs. The other day we had pulled in our driveway and there were those kids, spinning each other around in an office chair that they dragged over into our yard. I've really had enough of them.

I also refuse to let my children play with them because they're playing in the street all the time. Their mother (who we affectionately refer to as "Skanky") just sits there on her porch what seems like 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and watches them either play in said street or in the school yard across the street which is fenced in with "private property - no trespassing" signs posted everywhere.

UGH!

Enough about that though. I can't finish a post on a nasty note like that, so I'll leave you with some cupcake shots.

vegan cupcakes

This was my first shot at a vegan recipe. Are you surprised that it's a cupcake? I'm not! I figured if I'm going to start doing this more than just as a hobby, I need to expand my horizons.

I found the recipe HERE.

I left out the chocolate ganache swirl because I didn't have any dark chocolate in the house, but next time I'll make sure I get some.

But, anyway ..... introducing ..... the root beer float cupcake! I made two dozen mini ones and had enough batter left for 6 full size ones. They have a vanilla "buttercream" icing (made with shortening, not butter). I wouldn't normally put that amount of frosting on a cupcake but I loved how it looked like a scoop of ice cream for the photo.

Now, who wants one? *grins*

mmm Sunday breakfast

We've been watching seasons of America's Test Kitchen that we got out of the library and man, that show makes me so hungry. I decided this morning that I would surprise everyone and make the cinnamon rolls from the Quick Breads episode. Even I ate one of them and they are hands down, the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had. The taste was spot on and they were tender and delicious but my technique will definitely need some work. My kitchen looked like a cinnamon tornado hit it after I surveyed the damage as I popped them in the oven.

I will definitely be keeping that recipe!

Next up on my baking list: another batch of the pink lemonade cupcakes for a meeting Tuesday and a new recipe for root beer float cupcakes (the root beer recipe is a vegan one).

TGIF for sure!

I've calmed down a bit since yesterday's post, after talking to family and friends. I am still going to stay with this job but very seriously look into marketing myself. Well, my cupcakes anyway, not me personally. Soooo, if you know anyone that needs or wants cupcakes for an event, feel free to send them my way! I have some references, for sure.

When I'm stressed, I tend to bake more. Yesterday I tried tackling molasses cookies. I have absolutely none of them left today, my family scarfed them right up (in fact, my mom stopped over and snagged the last one on her way home from work). I will most definitely be keeping these in my collection of recipies.

I got a phone call last night (from my mother) asking if I would photograph a wedding (and possibly do the wedding cupcakes) for the son of a friend of hers who is getting deployed again. I told her that I am more than happy to lend my services! I will also be baking a few kinds of cookies for the reception, so I will be on the lookout for cookie recipes in the next few weeks. I'm completely open to suggestions!