COMPETING PRIORITIES

Savannah State was our second opponent this year.  It was also the second week of juggling a busy Saturday schedule, fitting in pee wee football and FSU football.  On top of the football overload, we were hosting  my Dad and Stepmother.  They were excited to come watch Mack on Saturday then head to our family reunion on Sunday.  Busy weekend, but it should be fun.

In honor of our southern opponents, I decided on Pecan Pie Cupcakes.  I found a good, new recipe for the cupcakes and went back to a frosting recipe I had tried last year.  The cupcakes had a 'filling' that was baked and then dropped into the batter.  Sounded interesting.

I mixed up and baked the cupcakes and prepared the frosting on Friday evening.  The frosting was a recipe that required a lot of stirring and cooking.  Lots of sugar, butter, and sweetness.  The frosting needed to set up overnight, so I got up early on Saturday to finish.  I must not have cooked it long enough.  It did not thicken to frosting consistency.  It was a runny, gooey mess.  A sweet mess, but a mess nonetheless.  The same problem happened last time.  I won't give up, but for the third try, I really need to do some homework.  More chemistry with this one.

The filling on the top.

The frosting cooking on the stove.

This week's tailgate was going to be the 'C Team'.  T and J were not coming.  Big Dave and Kathi were not coming.  As the day dawned, it also became clear that the weather was not going to cooperate.  Rain, rain, rain.

Mack's game was at 1pm and the Noles were set to kick off at 6pm.  I agreed to pick up Susan and take her to the tailgate and home afterwards.   I picked her up and safely delivered her, the tables and tents, and of course the cupcakes.  It had not started raining yet.  We hoped it may hold off.  We hoped.

I was on my way to Mack's game and more drama.  My car started overheating.  The temperature went up, the A/C went weak, and the MPG was dropping sitting still.  Absolutely still and the MPG was moving.  Either I had gremlins or it was overheating.

I made it to the game and made arrangements to borrow Bill's truck.  I could still make it to the tailgate for a bit.  I thought...

As I was pulling in to Mack's game, it started to rain.  As the game progressed, it would rain and stop, rain harder, then stop.  The wind was wicked.  We had to hold down the tent to keep it from blowing away.  The boys kept playing.  They did not mind the rain at all.  Mid way through the 3rd quarter, the lightening came and the game stopped.

The day was was not turning out to be a day to be outside.  With the rain and car problems, we wound up not going back to tailgate and not going to the game.  We dried off and decided to enjoy a meal out.  The Noles managed to run up the score 55 to 0, with their game being called because of lightening in the 3rd
quarter.  What a coincidence.

Some of the cupcakes were enjoyed at the tailgate, but the majority made it to the family reunion on Sunday.  None made it back home from there.  We enjoyed visiting with family members we had not seen in years and others we had never met, and paid our respects to those we've lost.  We drove the back roads of Grady and Decatur counties.  Dad had literally a drive down memory lane.

Sometimes the best laid plans do not come to pass.  You make arrangements and prepare and something more powerful than you corrects your course.  Go with the flow, take the back roads, and enjoy the ride.

Angie

Now for the recipes...

Pecan Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Pecan Pie Filling

·         1/4 c. sugar

·         2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

·         1/3 c. light corn syrup

·         1 Tbsp. honey

·         1 egg

·         3 Tbsp. melted butter, unsalted

·         1 Tbsp. bourbon (optional)

·         1/2 tsp. vanilla

·         1/3 c. chopped pecans

For the Cupcakes:

·         1 & 1/3 c. all purpose flour

·         1 tsp. baking powder

·         1/4 tsp. salt

·         1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

·         1/2 c. sugar

·         1 stick unsalted butter, softened

·         2 large eggs, room temperature

·         1 tsp. vanilla

·         1/2 c. milk

Directions:

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

·         Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).

For the Pecan Pie Filling:

·         In a medium bowl, mix together the liquid ingredients with a spoon.

·         Stir in sugar and flour.

·         Stir in pecans.

·         Pour into a small baking dish.

·         Bake for 15 minutes, stirring gently half way through.  The filling will be thick but still fluid.

For the cupcakes:

·         In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

·         In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugars and butter together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes.

·         Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

·         Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 1 addition, beating on low speed until just combined.

·         Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full with the cupcake batter.

·         Place a scoop of Pecan Pie Filling into each cupcake.

·         Bake for 18-20 mins. or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

·         Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

·         Frost with Pecan Pie Frosting.

·         Garnish with whole or chopped pecans.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Pecan Pie Frosting

Ingredients:

·         1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

·         1 c. dark corn syrup

·         1/2 c. cornstarch

·         4 egg yolks

·         1 c. heavy whipping cream

·         1/4 tsp. salt

·         4 Tbsp. butter

·         1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

·         Whisk together first six (6) ingredients in a heavy saucepan.

·         Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.

·         Boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute or until thickened.

·         Remove pan from heat and stir in butter and vanilla, whisking until butter melts.

·         Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on surface of mixture to prevent film from forming.

·         Chill about 3 hours or until thick.

Makes 4 cups.

THE FOX FAIRY

For one last year, the kids are in the same school.  This occurrence will never happen again, I am very sad to say.  This is the sixth year I’ve been a parent of a child at Roberts and the teachers and staff have been great!  It’s an “A” school and though each year it’s a lottery as to what teacher the kids get, I’ve been pleased each time.

One of the great things about Roberts is the parent involvement.  The PTO and volunteers add so much value and help meet so many needs of the school.  The events and opportunity to give back begin even before the school year.

I’ve volunteered each year to help in the classrooms or for school-wide events, and each year I find capacity to do a little more.  Last year I was Box Top Mom for Kennedy’s class and I coordinated the Fall Festival activities for Mack’s.  This year, I am the Box Top Mom for both kids’ class and the “Fox Fairies Coordinator”.

Two weeks before the school year started, a lengthy email came out from the PTO Hospitality Coordinator.  She sent a very comprehensive list of events and opportunities for the upcoming year.  When you see it all in one list, you can readily see how much the PTO does for the school.  I answered the call for volunteers with raising my hand (figuratively of course) to coordinate providing treats for the teachers and staff for their birthday: be a “Fox Fairy”.

In years past, the Fox Fairies have made cookies or done something special for the teachers and staff.  As I read the job description, I quickly knew I could do a variation on that “theme” with cupcakes.   It’s a way to be able to acknowledge how well thought of the teachers and staff are and it’s a way for me to be able to volunteer, since with my work commitment during the week spending time helping out in the classroom is not always possible.

My adventure in cupcakes has not been a journey that was planned, with known stops or sites to see along the way, but more of a “live in the moment” type of excursion.  My decision to get involved as the Fox Fairy has driven my adventure forward in very pivotal ways.  My commitment had me quickly thinking “How am I going to tackle this project?”, “What will I put the cupcakes in?”, “When will I make the cupcakes?”, “What have I done?”….and many more questions.  Luckily there was time to figure it all out.  These are the fun puzzles life hands you. 

For the “What will I put the cupcakes in?”, I went back to my favorite online box company (Big River Packaging) and found matching boxes and inserts that hold two cupcakes.  Several months ago, I purchased the 12-count boxes in the chocolate brown.  There were so many choices of colors like pink, red, blue, white….but the chocolate brown seemed like just the color.  Fun.  Appetizing.  Classy.

The pretty brown box was not enough though.  To complete the packaging, I would need a logo.  I have thought about one for quite a while and generally knew what I wanted.  Something fun and clean but not cutesy.  One evening, I sat down with a pencil and paper and drew a few cupcakes.  Just grey lines on a page.  No color.  Some were better than others, I’ll admit.  I’m not an artist.  However, they were what I had wanted. 

After I had a few viable choices, I scanned them in and played around with layouts, fonts, and colors in PowerPoint.  I narrowed it down to four choices.  I loved them all.  How could I decide?  Thanks to my friends and family and Facebook, I was able to get unbiased opinions.  The clear winner was…

In week #2 of the new school year, I finally received the list of teachers and staff birthdays.  I won’t lie…the list is long.  There are 103 people on the list.  Their birthdays are fairly well disbursed around the year.  I flashed back to the original question, “How am I going to tackle this project?”.  I decided that if I make cupcakes once per month and deliver to all who had birthdays that month, I can probably do it with one batch of cupcakes. 

With that resolved, my quandary was what to do with the teachers and staff who have summer birthdays.  I decided to group August with the September birthdays for the first deliveries of the year and the July with the June as the final Fox Fairy special delivery of the year.  This way, no one would miss out and the workload would be manageable.

The final touch for the special deliveries was the message.  Instead of cards or handwritten notes, I designed a sticker for the top of the boxes that would convey the sentiment.  It had been a while since I wrote a poem, but I sat down again with pen and paper and put together a few verses. 

These first cupcake deliveries would be the most: there are 26 teachers and staff with birthdays in August and September at the school.  Over the long Labor Day weekend, I was able to set aside the time to bake and package the cupcakes, along with help from my sweetie Phillip.  He was a tremendous help folding boxes and loading cupcakes.

Since I would need to make more than one batch, I chose to make two types.  I settled on Apple Pie and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, two of my more popular flavors and ones that most of the teachers and staff would surely enjoy.

On Tuesday after the long holiday weekend, I loaded up the very sturdy Dell computer box I had acquired from work and headed with the kids to school.  I dropped them off and circled back to the office.  It was just before the published time for the office to open, but luckily there were people in the front office.

As you can imagine, someone walking in with an arm load of box can draw attention.  The two ladies who had been discussing very important school business quickly asked if they could help.  I let them know that I was there to share birthday treats with 26 of their co-workers.  I gave them the list of names and birthdays and asked if they would make sure the right individual got the right box.  They were more than happy and thankful to assist. 

Operation Fox Fairy Birthday Drop #1 was a success!  Later in the day, I heard from the Hospitality Coordinator that the cupcakes were making their way to the special recipients and that smiles were abounding.  All the planning, printing, baking, and coordinating came together for the benefit of the teachers and staff.  I cannot wait until October and the next Fox Fairy delivery!

It’s clear to me every day that my children are becoming very independent people with their own experiences, friends, and life goals.  There are so many people that influence their lives from family to friends, teachers and coaches.  Being a parent is about surround them with the right people and helping them make the right choices.  It's about giving them countless opportunities and helping them to know that they can do anything they want, if they just take a chance.  It is a puzzle that comes with no instructions or picture to follow, but that parents seem to figure out.  I hope that the picture at the end is of two happy, healthy, productive individuals.

Until the next adventure...

Angie 

GETTING FIRED UP

It's an excitement that cannot be described.  You just have to live it.  Football is a way of life here in Tallahassee.  If you're not a Seminole football fan showing up on campus on Saturdays to tailgate and make the trek to Doak Campbell then you're in front of the TV rooting on the Noles.

To a true Nole fan, football means more than painted hash marks, jerseys and pads, refs calling bad plays, and touchdowns.  It means tailgating (to an extreme that you are the Publix Tailgater of the Week), visiting with old friends, making new ones, and rooting for any team except the Gators.  You bleed Garnet & Gold.  You live for the sound of the drums as the World-renowned Marching Chiefs queue up The Chop.  Falling asleep the night before the first home game is like a child trying to fall asleep on Christmas Eve.

It was during the 2011 football season that I began making themed cupcakes for each home game.  As we have done for years, we design the menu to honor our visiting opponents.  When Miami comes to town, we go Cuban.  When Maryland comes to town, we do "all things crab".  Food and football are a perfect paring.

On September 1, 2012, the 2012 football season kicked off in Tallahassee. We hosted the Murray State Racers from Kentucky for a 6pm kick off.  The first tents went up on our tailgate site before Noon.  We have a great spot and show up early to make sure we keep the spot. 

It's our fifth year at this site.  We've moved a few times, mostly when FSU decided to put a building on our "grassy knoll".  There are several factors that make a good tailgate spot: grass, parking, and access to power.  The grass to make it feel like we're communing in nature, parking to accommodate the many tailgaters, and power to fuel the two TVs, fans, and small appliances.  All the comforts of home.

In honor of our foes from Kentucky, I went in search of quintessential Blue Grass state food and drink fare.  I quickly decided on Mint Julep Cupcakes.  Nothing more Kentucky than horse racing and the Mint Julep is the signature of the Kentucky Derby.

There were many variations on a mint or Mint Julep cupcake.  I found a recipe that used simple ingredients, including Bourbon, of course.  I had most of the ingredients around the kitchen, except for the mint flavoring and the fresh mint for garnish.  Publix had what I needed.

The recipe had quite a bit of bourbon in the batter, where the alcohol would evaporate during baking, but it also had a small amount of bourbon in the frosting.  The kids would not be able to partake of those, so I decided to make another option.  I decided on a variation of the chocolate cream pie cupcakes: Oreo Cream Pie Cupcakes.  I found football shaped Oreos that would be perfect adornment to the little beauties.

On Friday afternoon, I set to baking.  I mixed up the batter and put the cupcakes in the oven before the kids came home.  (Pops took them to Kennedy's gymnastics class.)  I would be able to get the cupcakes done before they came home, so that we could have family pizza and movie night at home.

I was mixing the frosting, standing in the kitchen, but about 6 feet from the oven when a ball of flames burst from the oven!  Yes, the oven EXPLODED....TWICE.  The cup of whisky in the batter apparently hit its flash point and had to let off steam.  What a heart-stopping occurrence.  When it happened the second time, I pulled out the fire extinguisher, just in case.

Luckily, the cupcakes were almost done and the third explosion was not to be.  Whew.  About that time the kids walked in and did they get a charge hearing my story!!!  I am thankful they weren't around or that I wasn't in front of the oven when it flew open. 

Despite the harrowing events, the frosting turned out well, the cupcakes were amazing, and the finished product was adorable.  I think I'll try these cupcakes again, but not without my fire extinguisher handy.

The Oreo Cream Pie Cupcakes were nowhere near the trouble, in fact they were no trouble at all!  These gems had a bottom crust of crushed Oreos, the Vanilla Cupcake, chocolate pudding filling, and the Vanilla Pudding Frosting.  Big, beautiful treats!

At our tailgate site (aka "Tent City") on Saturday, the festivities did not disappoint.  Despite the humidity and heat, we all felt refreshed by being together again on campus.  The best part, as we all had hoped, the Seminoles handily defeated our Kentucky visitors.  The Seminole Nation is hopeful for a championship winning season and the first game fueled that excitement.

My journey through cupcakes has truly turned into an adventure.  Fire, fallen cupcakes, amazing accomplishments, and pure joy.  I hope this year's Seminole squad find their fire and create something amazing.

Angie

Now for the recipe...

Mint Julep Cupcakes

Ingredients:

·         1 c. butter

·         2 c. sugar

·         1 tsp. vanilla extract

·         1 tsp. mint extract

·         4 eggs

·         2 & 3/4 c. all purpose flour

·         3 tsp. baking powder

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 c. milk

·         1 c. bourbon or whiskey

Directions:

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

·         Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).

·         In a small bowl, combine salt, baking powder, and 1 & 3/4 c. of flour.

·         In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts until creamy.

·         Gradually beat in the flour mixture until just combined.

·         Add milk and bourbon to the batter.

·         Add remaining flour, but do not over mix.

·         Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with the cupcake batter.

·         Bake for 25-30 mins. or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

·         Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

·         Top with Mint Julep Frosting.

·         Garnish with fresh sprigs of mint.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

  

Mint Julep Frosting

Ingredients:

·         1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened)

·         4-6 c. sugar

·         1/2 tsp. mint extract

·         1 tbsp. bourbon or whiskey

·         1/4 c. milk

Directions:

·         In the bowl of a stand or electric mixer, mix butter until creamy and pale.

·         Add powdered sugar 1 c. at a time until the frosting is thick.

·         Add the extract, bourbon and 1 tbsp. of the milk at a time until the frosting is the desired consistency.  Add powdered sugar if the frosting is too soft.

Frosts 24 cupcakes.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

It is the start of week number 7 at my new job and my time has been marked with meeting lots of great new people, with learning and contributing to the mission of the agency each day, and unfortunately, with saying good bye.  A long time employee earned her much-deserved retirement. 

Her send-off was at a local restaurant and lots of current and former co-workers showed up to wish her well.  She received tokens of appreciation and shared her gratitude for her friends she was fortunate enough to spend more hours with each day than her family.

When we had a date set for the party, I offered to make cupcakes.  I emailed her husband to find out what her favorite flavors were.  He quickly replied "chocolate".  Chocolate, huh?  So many variations on the theme of chocolate.

It took me a few days of thought to come to what I would do.  Chocolate and peanut butter are a natural.  But what else?  Pretzels!! 

I looked online for inspiration and found a recipe that called for creating a layer/crust of chocolate and pretzels on the bottom of the cupcake.  That would be a nice surprise.  I decided to use the cake recipe from my Maryland turtle cupcakes and the peanut butter buttercream frosting I used a while back.  For decoration, a simple, chocolate-covered pretzel.  The components were set. 

I didn't want to stop at one flavor.  There are some in our office that cannot eat chocolate (that would be awful).  I looked and searched and came across a recipe for orange dreamsicle cupcakes.  That would be nice.  The recipe had fresh oranges, buttermilk, and the frosting was an orange buttercream swirled with marshmallow cream.  Yum...

Now to bake...

I spent most of my quiet Sunday baking.  The kids were away and Phil was at work.  I quickly finished up the cupcakes and was able to run some errands before I came back to finish the task of frosting and decorating.  The chocolate cupcakes were gorgeous.  Perfect frosting.  Perfect cupcakes.  Real works of art.

The orange cupcakes were another story.  The cupcakes came out well.  They rose perfectly and were golden.  The frosting was a mess.  It tasted wonderful, but apparently, I did not make it thick enough.  When I frosted the cupcakes, the frosting either pooled up or slid off.  Awful.  Awful I say.  I was embarrassed.  But with my 'glass half-full' attitude I was sure that I could salvage them after the frosting thickened in the fridge.

I didn't get that chance.  I went to take the cupcakes out of the fridge and the box hit the floor and so did the cupcakes.  Frosting and smashed cakes splatted in front of the fridge.  I could have cried.

After a few hours of self pity (and some of Mom's consolatory spaghetti), I set back to baking to make another batch.  I did not have enough ingredients for second batch of the orange cupcakes, but I did have enough to make Apple Pie Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting.

After the kids went to bed, I baked the cupcakes, cooked the filling, and whipped up the frosting.  Crisis averted.

The cupcakes were a hit at work.  Not all of the 4 dozen were consumed at the restaurant, but they didn't make it past 5:00pm.  It was a split as to what the favorite flavor was, but it was a consensus I should be on Cupcake Wars.  Maybe someday, but for now, my Cupcake Adventure is limited to my own kitchen.

For me, retirement is such a long way off.  I can only imagine how exciting and scary it must be for anyone standing on the edge looking back at their dedicated years of service and forward to the unexpected and unknown.  I am pretty sure my retirement is known.  Just like I knew since I was playing bank with my cousin Beth in my grandmother's living room that I would work with money and "count" things, I know that in retirement I'll open a bakery.  Until then, let the adventure continue.

Angie

Now for the recipe...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cupcakes:

1.  Chocolate Cupcakes
For the base of the cupcake, melt 1 bag (16 oz.) of semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir in 1 c. of crushed pretzels.  Press 1 tsp. of the mixture into the base of the paper cups.  Fill the cups with batter almost full.  This cupcake does not rise much.
2. Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting (below)
3. Garnish with Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 4 c. confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 c. peanut butter

Directions:

• Cream butter on low speed until creamy.
• Add sugar 1 c. at a time until blended.
• Add vanilla and heavy cream and mix until blended and creamy.
• Beat in peanut butter until creamy.

Frosts about 24 cupcakes.