If I was stranded on a desert island...

... I know eXACtly what I would want to eat for the rest of my living days.

THIS CUPCAKE!

This, my friends, is a dark chocolate cupcake.

With peanut butter buttercream frosting.

I would like to first say, that regardless of whether your relationship status with chocolate and/or peanut butter ranges from "just friends" to "it's complicated", you will love, love, (do you HEAR me?!), LOOOOVE this cupcake.

The story goes like this...  Today at school we are having a teacher's potluck.  (On Wednesdays, the students are released at 1:10; then the teachers have an extended planning time.  Sometimes we are nice and have little social gatherings.)  Each grade level/department is assigned a different category of food.  My category is dessert.  I couldn't decide what to make.  Initially (as in "before 9:00 at night") I had thought about making one of those divine cheesecakes from last week during my "day as a stay at home mom" adventure.  However, that was not to be.  So instead I thought, "Hmm.  What could be simpler than cupcakes?"  And, in fact, this is perhaps one of the first times in my life that it was NOT a "famous last words" scenario.  They were actually not that complicated!

I began to search for a simple, yet divine chocolate cupcake recipe.  I stumbled upon a recipe called "One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes".  I was semi-skeptical, but I gave it a go (with a few alterations, of course).  So here it is.  Leah's version.  Leah's oh-so-very-deee-VINE version.

Sift the following together in a mixing bowl:

1 3/4 cups cake flour (it MUST be cake flour!)
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
 3/4 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa

Add the following:

2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk (yes, it MUST be buttermilk!)
3 tbls. canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Now, I'm hoping and praying that you have had the privilege of receiving (or purchasing) a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer at some point in your life prior to making these cupcakes.  If you like to bake-- even just a little-- you NEEEEED one of these.  Trust me.  You NEEEEED it!

Regardless of your mixer preference and/or availability, mix those ingredients together.  Blend until smooth.

Now comes a VERY important step.  Listen to me.  Stop.  I mean it.

LISTEN. TO. ME.

LET

IT

REST

Read that again.  (Did you read it again?!)  You MUST let your batter rest for at LEAST 30 minutes.  Read a couple of Psalms (who doesn't need a sweeter spirit to go along with this delectable dessert?!).  Go take a shower.  Watch a sit-com.  Fold some laundry.  Take a walk.  But do NOT do anything to that batter for a minimum of 30 minutes.  

OK, did you wait?  AFTER waiting, you may now fill your muffin pan (greased if naked) 2/3 full with the batter.  Oh, I forgot to mention something.  This batter will be VERY "runny".  I panicked a little when I saw how un-thick it was.  Stop panicking.  You're fine.

If you'd like to put a little treat inside your cupcake, now is the time.  Drop in some peanut butter chips (as I did) or perhaps a Reese's mini-cup (as I shall do next time).  Make sure it's undercover.

Bake for 10 minutes.  CAREfully rotate your pan 180 degrees.  Bake another 10-12 minutes.  Give it the ole' toothpick test.  But don't forget about your buried treasure.

Let them cool on a wire wrack completely.  Go ahead.  Try one.  I dare you.

Oh, don't worry.  We are going to frost them.  Oh my, oh my, are we going to frost.  But you'll have to stay tuned for that delight.  Wuh-ha-ha-ha!  *while rubbing hands together*  :)

Take Time

I was feeling quite proud of myself this morning:  got up and walked a mile, made some homemade granola (thank you very much, Emily Strobel!), folded some towels, put away dishes-- all before my sweet kiddos got up!  But as I was recanting my morning in my heart, just buzzing all around (quite proudly, I must add), the Spirit whispered in my heart,

"But you didn't sit quietly with Me."  

*sigh*

The opening phrase of a familiar hymn began to hum in my heart... 

"Take time to be holy..."  

Over and over the opening struck me.  Take time.  Holiness doesn't just happen.  It takes time.  And I must *take* that time.  Seize the moment.  Grab onto this goal with all my strength and hold onto it for dear life.  Because, truly, my life DOES depend on it.  No, I do not need to "earn" my salvation (or holiness), but the quality and urgency of my life depends upon my time.

Take time.  To be.  Holy.

I urge you to take a moment to read the story behind this hymn, "Take Time to Be Holy".  It was written not by a preacher or a musician or even a well-known evangelist.  It was instead penned by an English businessman, William Longstaff.  Just a man who knew that holiness begins and thrives with hard work.  Time.

Take time to be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, And feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children; Help those who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, The world rushes on;
Much time spend in secret With Jesus alone;
By looking to Jesus, Like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, Let Him be thy guide,
And run not before Him Whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow Still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, Still trust in His Word.

Take time to be holy, Be calm in thy soul;
Each thought and each motive Beneath His control;
Thus led by His spirit To fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted For service above.

My day as a stay-at-home mom

 So today we had the day off from school.  I love these days.  I get to stay home with my sweet ones.  I get to pretend that I'm one of those "stay at home" moms.  Don't get me wrong, I know that at this stage of our life, my working outside the home is what is needed for my family.  However, I am also really looking forward to the privilege of being home full-time-- if the Lord so allows.

But on to today! :)

We got up and lazed about a bit.
After a quick Wal-Mart run, my sweet hubby made a delicious brunch for our family--
french toast, sausage, and "dippy eggs".
I loved not rushing.

I decided that it would be a guh-RATE day to do some fun baking.
Soooo.. what's funner than a cheesecake?!
Um, I can't think of anything.
And, of course, it couldn't just be an "out of the box, no need for baking" kind of cheesecake.
No, it was an all day kind of cheesecake.
(Oh, and it is gooooood...)

Let's start with a delicious vanilla cookie crust...

While the first step of my marvelous cheesecake was happenin',
I thought it might be a great idea to finish juicing the rest of my oranges into some delicious orange juice. 

Into the freezer you goooooo!

My sweet ones were attempting a nap, but Daniel just wasn't interested.  He "rested" for a while, but then I just let him get up to spend some time with mama.  He took one look at the freshly washed juicer and with that impish little twinkle in his eye, says, "Mama!  Did you make some fresh orange juice?  Could I please have some?  Just a liiiiiiittle?" *sigh*  How do I resist?  (I don't!)

I love cooking.  For dinner some delicious pork chops were on the menu...
Into the crock pot they go...

What to do while we wait for dinner?  Hmmm... GYM TIME!!!

I love this picture... Daniel loved racing "too fast for a picture".

Can you find the baby in the stroller?! :)

Cuh-RAAAAASH!  (uh, no THIS wasn't staged...)

Starting to get the sleepy eyes

My favorite part of "gym time" was just watching the energy leap around.  I am amazed and so grateful for how my sweet ones entertain each other.  They laugh and chase and giggle and fall without a care in the world. 

Time for dinner!  We washed up and got to the table.
Pork chops were tender, rice was perfect, gravy was smooth,
and green beans were juuuust crisp enough.  *sigh*  I love it.

Now.  The big finish.  Are you ready?
All the mixing and measuring and baking and waiting and chilling and washing was about to pay off.
It's cheesecake time!!!

Divine.
Thank You, Jesus, for days
when I get to just be home and make cheesecake.  

God is good to me!

Oh, I'm so proud...

Well, I am so very proud of myself.  Let me just share my big ole' accomplishment of the day:

I did my own little version of "jumping rope" at our DAY LONG "Jump rope for Heart" day at school.

As the music teacher, naturally, I was in charge of running the "music" for the event for each grade level so as to keep the kiddos going and to have some "energy" for the group.  (Really?  Eight-yr-olds NEED added energy?!)  Anyway, I was in the gym the enTIRE day and decided to just hop along with all the different classes throughout the day.  Did I actually use a ROPE?  Uh,  that would be "no".  Let's just be thrilled that I was doing the up and down motion and the swinging of my hands/arms! :)

The Big Reveal...

Well, I realize that it might be a bit anti-climatic since my "drama" and "torn-ness" actually is from Monday and not today... Thursday.  However, that will also give you a glimpse into why (a) I am so torn and (b) I feel like a crazy person.

To begin:  "THE DEVIL WANTS ME FAT"

So last week I began my plunge into exercising in the mornings before school.  (Remember, as in "it is now 5:45 am and I am FINISHED with the workout"???)  I must sheepishly admit that in my mind, I am still in the physical shape of my college/pre-baby/pre-marriage/pre-EVERYthing days.

However, that is not the reality of my shape.  *sigh*  So, perhaps I have been a little overzealous.  That being said, on Sunday I ended up having to go to Urgent Care b/c evidently, I somehow pulled a muscle in my lower back-- which made it QUITE difficult to walk (much less take care of a household involving a 2 and 3 yr. old!).  So that was Sunday.  Needless to say, I have been having to NOT exercise (*sigh* no Zumba yet) this week.

In addition to the "resting" requirement, I have also been prescribed some "special pills" to help heal up my unhappy back.  Oh, my.  For those of you who know me (and even possibly claim to "love" me), I am crazy on my best days.  Yes, I am secure in that part of myself.  Granted, the Lord and I are trying to work on it, but the reality is still there:  I am a nutcase.

Now.  Add some pretty "helpful" medication to that natural born "crazy"... Are you following me?  Do you KNOW what chaos is my life right now?!  I explain it to people like this:  I feel like the Road Runner is in my brain.  And my mouth.  And my face.  Oh, he's everywhere.  So right now I'm just tryin' to hang on and stay out of prison.

 Moving on:  "I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S A MEDICINE FOR MY SICKNESS..."

Yes, I did just finish confessing about my current medication-- and how splendidly THAT is going.  And now I'm looking for MORE?  No, not really.  But perhaps.  Here are the facts: 

1. My children needed Valentine's Day cards for their preschool classmates.
2. I'm a bit of an over-achiever.

That sums it up.  That's pretty much the "short version".  But I'll tell you that instead of simply just getting normal, everyday, ordinary, preschool appropriate cards for my sweet D and E to give out, I had the BRILLIANT plan that I should inSTEAD make cake pops.

If there are 9 children/teachers in Daniel's class, and there are 12 children/teachers in Ellie's class, how many cake pops does Leah NEED to make?  (yes, I do basic math:  21.) 

How many did Leah ACTUALLY make?  39. 

Now, you may have made these delightful treats previously (and they ARE delightful!), but I want to offer some little important tips for those of you who have NOT yet embarked on this sweet little journey.

First of all:  the absolutely MOST important part of this ENTIRE process is NOT what kind of cake you use or the icing or the melting of the chocolate or the decorations or the length of the sticks.  No, I submit that the absolutely MOST critical step is the Styrofoam block.  I couldn't find any at the den of Satan Wal-Mart when I was gathering all of my critical ingredients.  I just shrugged it off as not very important and was CERTAIN *I* could just improvise. 

STOP.  

NO.

  

Do NOT attempt to improvise.  

Especially not at 11:00 at night. 

(See where the need for medication is coming in?!)  Here's what ended up happening...

I made the lovely 39 cake pops (as pictured above).  After having a small meltdown b/c I skipped over the "refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before dipping in chocolate to avoid having the balls fall off of the stick" step, I then proceeded to the "dip once chilled" step.  (after chilling, of course! ;) )

WHICH brings us to that vital step.  The Styrofoam.  I'll cut to the chase.  After about 30-45 minutes of atTEMPting to "improvise" (failing miserably), the Holy Spirit Himself (no, I am serious!) whispered softly to my Road Runner heart: "How about using that shoe box with holes stuck in it?"  Oh, thank You, Father!

It was fairly smooth sailing after the shoe box on top of a checkered cooling rack discovery.  I became quite adept at dip, twist, sprinkle, twist, poke [in the hole on the shoe box].  And the end result was not only beautiful, but also DELISH! :)  

5 hours later...

So the moral of my story blog is this:  take each day one at a time.  Enjoy the moment.  Don't worry about what the devil wants.  Tomorrow's another day.  But most importantly: DO NOT FORGET THE STYROFOAM!