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Written on August 30, 2010 by Kate

Last week I made these to bring to a girls night that my friend Jen hosted. They tasted as good as they looked. I used mini cupcake liners for these. Have you noticed that people are often more likely to indulge in three or four bite-sized cupcakes, than one regular sized one? It can’t be all that fattening if it’s just a bite or two… or three, right?

I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on t. v. (remember that annoying commercial?), but life experience has taught me that the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is a great remedy for the following ailments:

over-load
over-tired
over-worked
PMS
naughty children
bad date
looming deadline
messy house
messy kids
messy husband (no longer my ailment)
too many days on a diet (a.k.a. starvation)
back to school blues (which I’m currently suffering from)

Have I missed anything? Another remedy for all of the above is my boyfriend Kendall Jackson. Your favorite wine will probably do the trick too! And if it’s a really bad day, indulge in both!

And if you don’t suffer from any of the above, these are pretty darn good just for the heck of it! Cupcakes don’t require a reason.

I used Ina Garten’s chocolate cake recipe, the best-ever chocolate cake. I discovered this recipe when I created the caramel frappuccino cupcakes awhile back. This peanut butter frosting is light and fluffy, and not overly sweet (I have yet to find anything too sweet for my liking, but some of the girls commented that this frosting appealed to them because it wasn’t over the top sweet.).

These would be a fun candy bar cupcake for Halloween, just sprinkle with chopped up Reese’s!

Fluffy, But Not Too Sweet Peanut Butter Frosting

printable recipe

1 cup peanut butter (not organic)

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream *

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat butter and peanut butter using an electric mixer until well combined. Mix in powdered sugar gradually. As the frosting thickens, add heavy cream 1 tbsp. at a time. Beat for three minutes until light and fluffy. To achieve the frosting consistency that you like, you may need to add a little more cream or more powdered sugar.

* You can substitute milk.

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Written on July 12, 2010 by Kate

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This cupcake is ridiculously decadent, and another Emmy Award worthy cupcake. The combination of chocolate, cherries, and buttercream is a sinful indulgence… one that I highly recommend. This was the third cupcake that I served at the cupcakes and cocktails tasting night. Hidden inside the center of this cupcake are cherry pieces that have been soaked in amaretto. Think black forest like cake, only much better. I’m not a huge fan of cherries soaked in kirsch. These cherries infused with amaretto are the perfect complement for the devil’s food cake.

I wouldn’t dare take credit for this one. This was all my mom’s creation. This is her entry for the Duncan Hines Emmy Award Cupcake Contest. You of course, are familiar with the contest, since you’ve been voting for me daily, right? An emmy worthy cupcake should be elegant, beautifully presented, and over the top delicious. This, without a doubt, is the best entry I’ve seen (the chocolate covered strawberry cupcake is a close second, just my opinion).

Don’t you love those little edible gold stars sprinkled on top. They sparkle when they catch the light, and are a perfect garnish for these fancy treats. These are also available in silver, along with edible heart shaped glitter in Wilton’s line of cake decorations.

The piping is what really gives this cupcake a fancy look. It really isn’t difficult to do, even if you have never used a piping bag… I promise! To achieve this look, you will need a piping bag (I prefer the disposable ones), a coupler, and a star tip. These can all be purchased at Michael’s or another craft store and will only cost a few dollars.

We used a large star tip (#21) to pipe the star design because these were jumbo cupcakes. It’s hard to tell in the picture, but these were super-sized cupcake liners. They’re so big, they don’t even fit in a regular muffin pan. They bake right on a cookie sheet. This size isn’t the portion control option, but the perfect size to split with someone you love. If you bake up smaller cupcakes, I’d recommend using a smaller star tip (#16, #17, or #18). Click on the links below for Wilton’s excellent tutorials on piping.

Resources on Piping

If you normally spread icing on your cupcakes, don’t be afraid to branch out into the piping world. I promise, it is not as hard as it looks.

First, read through the step by step instructions on setting up your piping bag (These disposable piping bags, may be a little more money in the long run, but they’re conveinent and making cleaning up easy).

Next, view this You tube tutorial on piping with a star tip, and you’ll have all of the info. you need to get started.

But wait… before you start piping, click over and vote for this cupcake and for my chocolate covered strawberry cupcake for the Duncan Hines contest~ PLEASE… Yes, we have no problem begging. You can vote for both cupcakes daily! Send us to the Emmys!

Amaretto Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

24 cherries, sliced in half and pitted

2/3 cup Amaretto liquor

1 Duncan Hines Devil’s Food cake mix

2/3 cup water

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1. Combine pitted cherries and Amaretto in small container. Cover and refrigerate, at least one hour and preferably overnight.

2. After cherries have soaked in Amaretto, drain and save Amaretto juice. Set cherries aside. Add the 2/3 cup Amaretto/cherry juice to cake mix. Add 2/3 cup water, 3 eggs and oil and beat and bake according to box cupcake directions.

3. When cupcakes are completely cool remove a 1-inch X 1-inch center circle from cupcake. (Centers can be used later for “cake pops”)

BUTTER CREAM ICING

2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted

1 stick butter, softened

½ cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon Amaretto liquor

Wilton edible golden stars (available at Michael’s)

1. Beat butter and sifted powder sugar. Gradually add half of cream. Continue to beat. Add vanilla and Amaretto; gradually add remaining cream.

2. Partially fill center of cupcake with butter cream icing,

3. Add 2 halves of drained cherries on top of butter cream.

4. Add additional butter cream on top of cherries and smooth top of cupcake with butter cream icing. With #17 Wilton star tip, pipe stars on top of cupcake starting around the outside and work toward center.

5. Sprinkle Wilton Golden Edible Stars on top.

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Written on July 12, 2010 by Kate

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Four years of French and that’s one of the few things I can say. No I don’t no how to say toast or cupcake, and my accent is horrible. The truth is all that I remember is a bunch of random words and sayings that probably wouldn’t even help me if I was ever lost in France.

French toast in cupcake form… Magnifique! (I remember that too.) A few food bloggers and cupcake fanatics have come up with their own versions of this cupcake, and as a self-proclaimed French toast lovin’ girl, I had to join in. This was one of the cupcakes I made for the cupcakes and cocktails girl’s night that I hosted a few weeks ago. This was my favorite of all four cupcakes. I paired it with a light Riesling, which didn’t compete with the sweetness of the cupcake. The truth is you can probably pair this cupcake with anything, and it’s still going to be fantastic (or is it fantastique?).

Be careful when baking up breakfast-like cupcakes. There are a lot of muffins out there posing as cupcakes. Blueberry, apple cinnamon, and banana cupcakes are often just muffins in disguise. You can’t just spread frosting on a muffin and call it a cupcake. These French Toast cupcakes are the real deal ~ light, crumbly, and moist ~ everything you expect in a cupcake. I adapted one of the Cake Mix Doctor’s cinnamon cake recipes and added my own maple syrup frosting. I sprinked a little cinnamon toast crunch cereal on top for garnish. These will definitely be repeated in my house, and are arguably better than actual French toast.

The frosting is a very basic cream cheese frosting with a few tablespoons of syrup added. It is simple and delicious. While we’re on the topic of fakeness, that container claiming to be syrup in most of our pantries probably has no or little maple content. It’s a phony, full of high fructose. I won’t lie, I like the taste and we go through quite a bit of it in my house. The boy and I both have a crazy addiction to frozen waffles. This ”pancake” syrup is not what you want to add to the frosting. You want to use real maple syrup, and it will say it right on the label. Canada, Europe, and the United States all have different grading systems to classify their syrups. The different categories generally have to do with the color, flavor, and time of year the syrup was produced. Just make sure to use real maple syrup in this frosting recipe, and you can’t go wrong.

Au revoir mes amis! Be back with more tomorrow!

In the meantime, don’t forget to vote for my chocolate covered strawberry cupcake. It only takes a second! Vote here! Merci Beaucoup! You can vote daily until July 28th.

French Toast Cupcakes (Cake Adapted from the Cake Mix Doctor)

Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes

1 package plain yellow cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside. Mix cake mix, pudding packet, milk, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer until smooth (approximately 2 minutes). Spoon batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 2/3 full.
Bake approximately 15-20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Maple Syrup Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)

Sift powdered sugar into a medium sized bowl. Mix cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar and maple syrup and beat until smooth.

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Written on July 5, 2010 by Kate

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A few weeks ago, I had a few girlfriends over for a wine and cupcake tasting party. I baked up four different flavors of cupcakes, and paired each flavor with a wine to bring out or complement the cupcake’s flavor. Cupcakes, wine, and a few girlfriends are a perfect combo for a great night. I have been dreaming up a lot of cupcake flavors, and this gave me the perfect chance to try a few.

Have you read the book The Lovely Bones? My book club read it awhile back. I had mixed feeling about the book, and usually try to avoid books with creepy, child molesting murderers, but there were a few things about the novel that I did like, one part being the author’s depiction of heaven. Each person in heaven is given their own, unique space that reflects what they love in life. If this is truly what heaven is like, I can guarantee you that my space will be filled with these chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes… so feel free to stop by my heavenly pad if you’re hungry, but let’s not rush it, okay?

My first attempt at these chocolate strawberry cupcakes was based on the Sprinkle’s strawberry cupcake recipe. I adapted the recipe a tad, and frosted them with my creamy, white chocolate frosting. Finally, I garnished them with chocolate-covered strawberries. My girlfriend, Melissa, loved these. For me, the combination of strawberry cake and white chocolate frosting was divine, but I did have one reservation. I won’t make excuses. All I can say is that I’m a girl raised on cake mix from a box. Many cupcakes from scratch are denser than cake from a cake mix. The dense cupcakes are not my preference. I’m a cake mix girl at heart, and proud of it!

Our cupcake and wine tasting was a success, but even I was a little cup-caked out. That changed when I heard about Duncan Hine’s “Red Carpet Cupcake Challenge”. Duncan Hines is sponsoring the 62^nd Primetime Emmy Awards this year, and is asking contest participants to submit an Emmy worthy cupcake recipe that uses a Duncan Hines product. My mind immediately flashed back to those almost perfect chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes.

I’m not sure what the specific criteria the judges will be using, but I have a feeling this might be part of it:

widespread audience appeal
dressed in formal attire (It’s the Emmy’s for goodness sake. I’d be humiliated if my cupcake showed up on the worst dressed list.)
has to taste fabulous… I’m talking standing ovation fabulous!

That’s where Round 2 of my quest to create the perfect Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cupcake began. It took three more batches of cake batter for me to award it Emmy worthy status. I did feel a little wasteful throwing out so much cake batter, but once I started, I wasn’t about to stop until it was exactly how I had envisioned.

So here’s the deal. I’m not one to ask for help. In fact, I bag my own groceries at the store. The bag boy or manager always comes running to take over (you think they’d know by now). I guess they assume I’m an unhappy, impatient shopper, but the reality is I like doing it myself ~ Control freak? People-pleaser? Let’s just say, way too much of both! (Could that be why I’m still single after four years post divorce? Okay, let’s not analyze that one right now.)

Back to the contest… This contest relies on help. The cupcake entries are narrowed down to ten, based on the highest numbers of votes they receive. People can vote for their favorite every day until July 28^th. Here I go, with great trepidation (can’t believe I’m about to ask this)… If you think this cupcake is award winning Emmy material, or if you just feel like helping a girl out, you can vote for me again and again and again daily. There I said it! If I win, I promise to throw another cupcakes and cocktails party, and you’re all invited because I’m a people-pleaser, and proud of it!

Vote for me here! Pick Me! Pick Me!

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

(Created by ME!)

Makes approximately 30 cupcakes

1 box Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix

1 box (4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

½ cup sour cream

2/3 cup pureed strawberries (This requires approximately one cup of whole strawberries prior to pureeing)

A few drops of pink gel coloring ~ optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Puree one cup of whole strawberries. Reserve 2/3 cup of the strawberry puree.

Blend cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, and sour cream at low speed until moistened. Add strawberry puree. If you want the cupcakes to come out a little pinker, add a drop or two of pink gel coloring.

Beat at medium speed until well combined (approximately two minutes). Fill cupcake liners two thirds full. Bake immediately for approximately 15 minutes, or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before frosting.

White Chocolate Frosting

(created by, ME)

4 oz. white chocolate baking squares

1 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Melt white chocolate using the double boiler method or microwave. If using microwave, microwave at thirty second intervals and stirring in between until completely melted. Set aside melted chocolate to cool.

Sift powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl.

Combine butter, whipping cream, vanilla, salt in an electric mixer. Gradually add in powdered sugar until well combined. Frosting should be fairly stiff if piping onto cupcakes.

Pipe or spread frosting onto cupcakes. Top cupcakes with half of a chocolate covered strawberry, just prior to serving. Refrigerate cupcakes if not serving right away.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

(no idea who is responsible for this fabulous combo)

15 small to medium-sized fresh strawberries

Milk or dark chocolate for dipping

White chocolate to decorate

Wash strawberries and dry completely. Cut strawberries in half. Melt chocolate, either using double-boiler or microwave method. Dip strawberry halves into melted chocolate and place on waxed paper to set. Pipe thin lines of white chocolate across strawberry for garnish. Refrigerate until ready to serve cupcakes.

Tips:

To get the frosting the consistency that you like, you may need to add a little more cream, or powdered sugar to the frosting.
If you want to pipe the swirl, use Wilton’s 1M tip.
If you’re piping the swirl, double the frosting recipe.
It’s a little tricky to dip strawberry halves. The stems can break if you’re not careful. You’ve been warned.
Do not top cupcakes with chocolate strawberries until you’re ready to serve. Otherwise, the juice from the strawberry will start to seep out.
If the temperature is very warm outside, your frosting may melt a bit. This is fine and makes it easy to spread (yet impossible to pipe). If you want to pipe the icing, refrigerate the frosting until it firms up a bit.
These taste great both straight from the fridge, and at room temperature. Yes, I tried both ways.
I made the icing with a (4.4 oz) Lindt white chocolate bar, worth every penny. (YUM!)
To make the cupcakes a pretty pink hue, I added two drops of Americolor Rose gel coloring. (Remember, food coloring is your friend.)

Thanks for voting!

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Written on June 23, 2010 by Kate

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These cupcakes were inspired by one of the best children’s books of all time… Charlotte’s Web. Remember the first time you read this book? The themes of friendship and loyalty are timeless, and have made this the best selling children’s paperback ever. This was the first chapter book my son and I read together when he was five. Boy was I caught off guard. I became so invested in Wilbur and Charlotte’s relationship, I cried my eyes out. It is a totally different read as a grown-up. All those years of life experience make the book even more meaningful.

One of my girlfriend’s daughters, Amanda, asked me to make cupcakes for the Charlotte’s Web party her class was having. It was part of their end of the year celebration. What a perfect novel to end the year with. I always get emotional this time of year. Everyone around me, including the boy and his pup, appears giddy for summer. Trust me, I can’t wait to turn off the alarm clock for the next ten weeks, but the end of another school year is definitely bitter sweet. I don’t do well with change. I thrive on structure and on having a plan. But more than that, the last day of school brings with it the acceptance that another year has passed. My one and only kiddo is going to be in 4^th grade in the fall, and whether I like it or not, he’s growing up.

I vividly remember one occasion, when I was around my son’s age, crying in my bedroom wishing I didn’t have to grow up. I’m not even sure what prompted my meltdown. Ironically, here I am at thirty-six crying over the realization that my son is growing up before my eyes. It’s been amazing watching him transform this year. Never the risk-taker, the cautious one, he is becoming a different kid. I see in him courage that was never there before. My current prayer is that God will prepare me for that day when it’s time to let go.

As far as the cute little cupcakes go, Amanda reported that the kiddos loved them. A few said they were the best cupcakes ever. I made white cupcakes with the recipe that starts with a cake box, but ends up tasting like a wedding cake ~ love it! I didn’t make my home made buttercream, but used a can of frosting. Gasp! The reason has to do with the texture of the frosting. Kids love the taste of it, and the consistency is perfect for heating up a bit (see directions below).

Here ’s a few tips on how to make these BFF’s:

Pig Cupcakes

Bake up a batch of white cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners slightly more than halfway. You don’t want these to puff up too much.
Tint frosting with pink food coloring (I used Americolor’s soft pink gel.), and spread on the cooled cupcakes.
Heat ¼ cup of the pink frosting for 10-15 seconds, and stir. This will thin down the consistency of the icing to frost the snout and the pig ears.
Cut marshmallows in half cross-wise. Dip each half in the melted pink frosting, let dry, and place on waxed paper. As the icing cools, it will start to thicken up and may separate. At this point, stir it up and reheat for a few seconds.
Cut triangle shapes out of the marshmallows for ears. First cut marshmallow in half crosswise, and then trim each piece to form a small triangle. Dip each triangle in the melted frosting, and place on waxed paper.
I did not allow the pieces to dry completely. It’s helps to have them a little wet (but not runny) to better adhere to the cupcake.
If you’re having trouble with ears falling off, you can use toothpicks behind them for support. I discovered this tip when I woke up in a panic to earless dog cupcakes.
Place two mini chips, pointed side down into the marshmallow snout.
Place two regular size chocolate chips pointed side down for eyes.

Spider Cupcakes

These are really easy and fun for Halloween. Click here for the template and directions.
If you do not have piping bags and tips, a Ziploc will work. Fill it with melted chocolate, roll into a cone shape, and cut a small bit off the tip of the bag.
The only thing I did differently this time was add silver sanding sugar on these before the chocolate had dried for a little sparkle.

Happy Summer Everyone!

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Written on June 21, 2010 by Kate

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Bet you didn’t know that you don’t have to give up your cupcakes just because it’s bathing suit season. When it comes to dessert, I would almost always rather have two bites of the real deal, than an entire portion of the low-fat, fat-free, sugar-free, or diet version. It wasn’t until I made the chocolate Diet Cherry Coke Cupcakes, that I even entertained the thought of a diet cupcake. Those cupcakes were fabulous!

These lemon cupcakes are another great summer treat. They’re light and fluffy, and topped with a low-fat cream cheese frosting. The cupcake has only three ingredients, lemon cake mix, diet lemon-lime soda, and 2 egg whites. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Diet Lemon Cupcakes

Lemon cake mix (I use Duncan Hine’s Lemon Supreme)

1 can of Diet 7up or Slice

2 egg whites*

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Bake according to the directions on the cake box.

*Egg whites are actually optional in this recipe. I think it makes the cupcakes fluffier.

Low-fat Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz. light cream cheese, softened

1 c. marshmallow cream
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, marshmallow creme, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined. Then gradually beat in the powdered
sugar.

Makes 1 3/4 cups

NOTES : The use of marshmallow creme instead of butter in this easy frosting
recipe keeps the fat, calorie and cholesterol counts low. To simplify
clean-up, spray the measuring cup with non-stick spray before attempting to
measure out the marshmallow cream!

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Written on May 18, 2010 by Kate

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Do you agree with the cliche “opposites attract” ? When I think about the couples I know, there are some with very different character traits that have meshed together beautifully. Then, there are other couples I know, that I wonder how in the heck they got together in the first place. Don’t you find that the same is true with some of the ingredients we put together? My current obsession is salted caramel. The salty-sweet combo is a perfect example of “opposites attract”.

I’ve been daydreaming about the chocolate cupcakes that I made for Cupcake Hero for weeks now. Two of my best girlfriends and I decided this was the best chocolate cake recipe on the planet. The Cupcake Hero theme was caramel and I was attempting to make a caramel frappucino in cupcake form. I was thrilled with how they turned out.

Before we officially award the chocolate cupcake with the best cupcake on the planet award, I thought I would bake it again, just to make sure. This time around, I frosted the cupcakes with a salted caramel frosting that I had seen on Gimme Some Oven. This buttercream took an already fabulous cupcake to a whole new level. The frosting requires that you make your own caramel, but do not be afraid. Just follow the directions below, and whatever you do resist the urge to stir. (I’ve posted some pictures below on the right side of the frosting recipe for your reference if you haven’t made home-made caramel before.)

Salt and Caramel are a couple made in heaven, and these cupcakes prove it!

Chocolate Cupcakes (Adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

(printable recipe)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup freshly brewed, caramel flavored hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan.

Combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in mixer and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into cupcake liners, fill a little less than 2/3 full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Salted Caramel Buttercream (Recipe adapted from CHOW)

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. water

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (pic #1). Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color, about 6 to 7 minutes (pic #2). The key is not to stir it.

Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla (start with a few spoonfuls), stirring with a wooden spoon until completely smooth (pic. # 3). Set aside until cool to the touch.

Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed and add powdered sugar. Mix until well combined (pic. #4). Turn off the mixer, and slowly add caramel. Beat frosting on low to combine, and then increase to medium-high and beat until airy and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate if not using immediately. *

*If you refrigerate the frosting, be sure to whip it up with your mixer before spreading.

***To frost cupcakes with the swirl (1M tip), you will need more frosting than the recipe makes, double it.

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Written on April 30, 2010 by Kate

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“Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort.”
~ Norman Kolpas

Comfort food was definitely on my menu this week. The past few days have been chaotic and stressful, but above all life-changing. I still haven’t processed all of it yet.

Monday night was a victory for students, teachers, and parents in the community. After a five-day strike, the school board finally caved and agreed to a fair contract for our teachers. This group of seven clearly had no idea what they were up against. In total, 92% of our 2,200 teachers walked the picket line. Thousands of parents and students joined in our stand-off and embraced our teachers whole-heartedly. Only 37% of our students attended school during the strike, with only 10% of our high schoolers showing up. What happens when a huge majority of your teachers and students walk out… a whole lot of media attention that the board never anticipated.

The moral of the story is this… if you plan on backing 2,000+ teachers into a corner, you better be prepared to deal with the consequences.

Not only am I a teacher, but also a parent in the district. My boy has been lucky enough to have had the same teacher for two years. She has been such a blessing in our lives. My son has grown tremendously because of her support and guidance.

What could we do to show her our support? Comfort food, yes that works! While I got ready for each strike day, my boy and his dad picked up Starbucks for the staff and delivered it, along with some comfort food I had made.

Comfort food for me usually is something sweet. I’m not much of a main meal or side dish kind of girl. In fact, I’m fine skipping dinner completely. Note to Prince Charming…Nachos and mashed potatoes are exceptions ~ feel free to deliver those in stressful times.

During the strike, I made two of my favorites, Starbuck’s copycat coffee cake and oatmeal blueberry bars. I also baked up two new recipes, which were loaded with comfort. I found a can of pumpkin puree in my pantry and made pumpkin bars with chocolate chips. I also made use of the ripe bananas on my counter, and the result was one of the moistest cakes I’ve ever tasted. It was iced with a cream cheese frosting. Let’s face it, life can never be too bad if you’ve got cream cheese icing.

We survived all of the chaos and are ready to rest up and recover this weekend! Have a great weekend!

Pumpkin Bars (Recipe from Realmomkitchen.com)

printable recipe

6 eggs 1 1/2 cup oil

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 large can (29 oz) pumpkin

3 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin. Fold in dry ingredients and pour into jelly roll pan (13 x 18 pan) . (At this point I sprinkle half the pan with 1 cup of chocolate chips) Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake.

Banana cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

(printable recipe)

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