Andes Mint Cupcakes

I still haven't found the camera.

I just don't know where it could be.

If you work at Bunker Beach in Coon Rapids, MN and you just happened to have landed on this blog site and you magically found our silver camera (don't ask me the brand name) with lots of pictures of a super cute boy and naughty but adorable pets, could you please email me?

Thanks.

The lack of camera is why I only have this picture of the most magical cupcakes I've ever made.



It doesn't even come close to doing them justice. It's grainy, and lifeless and a little bit blurry.

And these tiny morsels of love were moist and chocolatey and well, just pure heaven.

I know, you can't tell, but they may have changed my life.

Ok, they didn't change my life, but they probably changed my waistline a little bit.

Totally worth it.

Let's talk details.

I started with my favorite chocolate cake recipe.

*side note / note to self* When making said favorite cake recipe make sure that the chocolate mixture is cooled sufficiently before adding the eggs, or you WILL end up with scrambled eggs in your cupcakes. - Just a gentle reminder for myself - pay me no attention. :)

And here's where the fun begins.

I bought two bags of Andes mints. Mostly because I wasn't sure how many candies were in each bag and how big the mints actually were. Clear packaging would have been helpful here.

Anyway, I unwrapped and chopped up probably 8 or so Andes mints, then poured about 1/2 to 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips into a bowl while I was warming up a cup of heavy cream.

Awww...let's just take a moment for heavy cream....Mmmmm...

Ok, so once my cream was a bubblin' I poured it over my mint chocolate concoction and let it sit until it had time to melt. Then I stirred it all together and set it aside to cool and firm up a bit - right after I licked the whisk - you know, just to make sure it tasted ok.

Um, yeah, it tasted ok.

Once the cuppies were cooled I filled them with the velvety rich ganache and topped them with my top secret fudge butter cream frosting.

And then, because I like to be excessive, I topped each one with an Andes mint slice.

Yep, definitely my favorite cupcake to date.

Yes, even better than the Peanut Butter Oreo.

I know, I know, but it's true.

I do not have a recipe - I'm a dump and pour kind of girl, but if you really must have one I can probably make one up - and get pretty close to the right measurements.

Otherwise, just make it up yourself. They'll probably be beyond yummy.

It's chocolate and mint. How could it be bad?

Just Because

Just because...

...it's been 11 days since I have posted - gasp!

...it's Monday.

...i'm sitting on my couch with my feet on the coffee table because the living room floor has been freshly washed.

...it's the hubby's birthday and we get to go to Benihana for dinner.

...and we have a sitter for Pookie!

...there's so much laundry piled in my room that i'm thinking about just throwing it away and buying all new clothes.

...i've been looking at things online i cannot afford and couldn't justify even if i could afford them.

...i lost our camera.

mom, do you have our camera??

...i made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting - then licked the frosting bowl clean.

...and then i made chocolate mint (andes-style) cupcakes and licked both the filling and the frosting bowls clean.

just because...

...i'm not starting a diet tomorrow even after those frosting-faced admissions.

Happy Monday everyone!

I'll be back soon...after I find the camera.

Illegal

I'm pretty sure there are certain things in life that are so addictive, they should just be illegal.

I type that as I sit licking Nutella off my spoon.

I'm putting Nutella on the illegal list.

For reals. It's not ok how yummy that stuff is.

And I know it's touted as a health food, but ladies, hear me on this one.

It's. Not. Good. For. You.

Just two tablespoons (one serving - if you have self control - which I don't) is 200 calories.

And that's not the worst of it.

There are 21 grams of sugar in those two tiny tablespoons!! Oh my goodness, I think I actually just felt another patch of cellulite pop up!

Peanut butter only has 3 grams of sugar for the same serving size. That means Nutella has 7 times more sugar than peanut butter! 7 times!!!

But, will that stop me from eating it? Probably not.

See?

Illegal.

Right up there with crack!

Excuse me a moment, I need to go get some peanut butter.

Ok, I'm back.

Want another one?

Pinterest.

Illegal.

I can literally spend HOURS searching this addicting site, and other sites around the web for inspiring crafts, recipes, home decor and more!

My laundry pile and neglected hardwood floors will tattle on me for this one.

And the worst part is that Pinterest makes me discontent with what I have.

What?! I don't have room for a reading nook, a breakfast nook and a walk in closet in my 1,000 square foot house? What's wrong with me?!?

Blech. I don't like that feeling.

I much prefer being house-proud of the tiny abode God has blessed us with. It's where our family plays and it's ok that I only have two closets in the whole house and neither of them is big enough for me to step into, let alone walk into.

I'm putting it on the list.

Illegal.

But again, that probably won't stop me from pinning again.

Sigh. No self-control.

I'm sure there are other things I could add to this list, but my brain is all a-twitter with sugar and craft projects.

Oooh, Twitter might be another one. If I tweeted. Which I don't.

I don't feel like I have enough thoughts for Twitter.

I'm just not self-centered enough to think people want to read my every waking thought or action.

That's why I have a blog.

That's not self-centered at all.

I hope you're getting the sarcasm here.

Yes? Good.

Enjoy your day everyone.

Oh, and if you live in Minnesota - don't go outside.

You'll melt.

I swear it's true.

I'm in the club

I'm starting a club.

I'm calling it the She-Woman Bug Haters Club and I'm accepting new applicants.

All you need is a can of Raid and a severe dislike for all things in the bug world.

I'll even accept those of you with a hatred for the creepy, crawly, six-legged demons.

That's what they are, let's not sugarcoat it people.

We will go forth, seek out, kill and destroy anything that presents itself with more than four legs.

Ew. Even that description creeps me out!

I know, I'm freaking out a little here, but for good reason.

I was attacked this morning by this:



I'm sorry you had to see that.

But in my defense, I did say this post would have pictures. :)

No, seriously, this mini-me of the scorpion family was lying in wait in my bathroom this morning.

Let me just paint you a little picture.

A mental picture, you don't want images of what I'm about to describe, trust me on this one.

I put Pookie down for a nap and ventured into the bathroom to hop in the shower and get ready for the day. While undressing I happened to glance at the ceiling and what did I see? An earwig!

That's what that nasty little sucker is in the picture above.

I know this because they have been roaming around our house for the last few months and I for one would like them to pack up their little buggy bags and go home!

This is not your home!

My husband even sprayed something around the outside of the house to try to stop them from getting in.

Didn't seem to affect this bathroom stalker's travels.

Maybe he's the Rambo of all the earwigs.

Anyway, back to me...in the buff...scared...and a little ticked off.

And what do you do when you're not wearing any clothes, the shower is already running and you see a bug on the ceiling?

You go get the Swiffer sweeper out of the kitchen closet to kill and destroy.

Of course!

There's just one problem.

When I got back into the bathroom, the earwig was gone.

Yep, sneaky little sucker had moved on me.

Ah, but I'm not so easily fooled.

I climbed up on the toilet, wielding my Swiffer weapon and spied him on top of the vanity.

Now, I made the decision not to climb up onto the vanity stark naked and try to kill this nasty bug at close distance.

I have peace about that decision - you should too.

But this decision had it's consequences. While I was trying to decide how to get to him, he crawled down into the top of the vanity and disappeared.

Awesome.

Now I had nothing left to do but suck it up, act like a grown woman, and take my shower with a rogue bug loose just mere inches from my head.

I can do that, right?

I am a grown up.

Except that I'm not. Not when it comes to bugs.

I am a tiny, shrieking girl.

Nevertheless, I took my shower, all the while keeping my eyes peeled on the ceiling and the shower curtain.

I knew he was waiting to attack!

It wasn't exactly the most relaxing shower I've ever had.

And when I emerged a few minutes later, there he was, perched atop the vanity, his little tail wagging in victory.

Ah, but I had the last laugh.

I grabbed my Swiffer sword and chopped that litter bugger in half!

Wha-cha!

That's the noise you have to make when you kill bugs.

That, or scream, "Die, bugs, die!!"

It completes the circle of life.

Now, who's victorious??

She-Woman Bug Haters Club: 1
Bugs: 0

So, if you'd like to be in the club, just let me know - we'll get t-shirts. It'll be awesome.

No Control

Did you know that we're not in control of our lives?

Seriously, it's true.

It's horrifying!

And I was never more aware of this than on a stormy night when the power went out in our little ghetto home once again.

It does that, once a week or so now.

It's awesome.

This incident was particularly annoying given it's timing.

The power went out about 5:30 pm last night. We got home about 5:45 pm

Stellar.

We put the Pook to bed about 7:30 pm as usual and proceeded to play Battleship until we literally couldn't see our boards anymore and had to give in and go to sleep.

And then the storm set in.

And it was a doozy.

That's right, I said doozy.

The wind howled, the rain poured and the lightning was electric enough to rival the Las Vegas strip!

And Pookie was not happy.

He was up almost once an hour from 9:30 pm until 2:30 pm.

He was crying.

And I was crying.

It was all very bad.

And in the midst of being angry over having no control I found myself praying and thanking God for the protection of our house. We may not have had power but we had a roof over our heads and we were safe.

And while I was praying Pookie calmed down and went to sleep and the storm ceased.

I finally dozed off to sleep only to be awakened when the lights flashed back on all over the house at 2:30 am.

Little did I know that the light in Pookie's room was on too...

Don't worry, he let me know at the early hour of 5:40 am when he called me to come change his dirty diaper.

Another thing I have no control over.

But I guess I don't need to have control.

I just need to know the one who does.

*And on a totally unrelated topic: The next post will have pictures, I promise! We've been landscaping...and getting dipped in the lake! I'll post those soon!

A Total Disaster

Fail.

Epic fail.

This was the theme in my kitchen last night.

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret.

Ok, it's a big secret. It's a real doozie.

WAIT!

You have to promise not to tell ANYONE.

Do you promise?

Ok.

I cannot make macaroni and cheese.

Duh, duh, DUN!

I know! Tragic, right!?

How is it that I can make roux, custard, souffle and even Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon, but simple, every day mac n cheese eludes me?

It's preposterous I tell you!

Now, let me just clarify something.

I can make KRAFT macaroni and cheese with the best of the 80's working moms.

Milk, butter, powdered cheese - perfection in a pan every time.

It's the homemade stuff that starts with a roux and ends in a clumpy, lumpy, sometimes greasy mess that is driving me nuts!

I can cook, really I can.

But every time I make macaroni and cheese it separates. And it doesn't matter what kind of cheese I use.

I've tried every flavor. I've used block cheese and grated it myself instead of the processed bagged stuff.

Nothing works!

I even managed to ruin the America's Test Kitchen's foolproof recipe.

How is that even possible?!

Shame. Pure shame.

But I do not give up.

I am on a mission to find out what I am doing wrong. To make a mac and cheese that I can sing about - and don't think I wouldn't make up a song about that - because I totally would. I can hear the melody now...

Until then I'm open to your suggestions because I'm kind of at a loss. Feel free to comment at will.

Oh, but don't ask other people.

This is supposed to be our secret, ok?

Pinky swear.