As Promised... Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Okay, for starters, I'm sorry I haven't posted this sooner.  The weekend got away from me, but here it is: Gloriously Delicious Red Velvet Cupcakes with Melt-in-your-Mouth Cream Cheese icing.  Every good Southern girl should have this recipe in her cook book, right?  Just don't make it into an armadillo as an ode to Steel Magnolias, and we'll be fine.  :) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together:

• 
  
  2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 
  
  1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 
  
  1 teaspoon baking soda
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt

Set this bowl aside for later. 

Beat 1 cup butter (softened) and 2 cups sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for five minutes or until light and fluffy. 

It's important to use real butter, here peeps.  None of this margarine or low-fat stuff.  Real.  Butter.  You can do it, suck it up. 

Whip it until it looks like this: light and fluffy. 

Now, add in eggs (4), one at a time. 

It's important to do this one at a time, so the whipped batter can breathe and absorb in the eggs completely. 

Next, mix in 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 ounce red food color, 1 ounce red wine vinegar, and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. 

Then whip it, whip it good.

Gradually beat in your flour/cocoa mixture on LOW speed until just blended. 

Do not overbeat. 

Spoon that batter into your muffin pans, filling each cup 1/2 full. 

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, then cool in pans before putting icing on them. 

Frost with vanilla cream cheese frosting, which you make by doing the following:

Beat together the following until light and fluffy:

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup of butter, softened

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

16 ounce confectioner's sugar

Confession:  I would have pictures of this frosting, but I was mildly preoccupied licking it off my fingers and spatula. 

Don't judge me; it was a weak moment. 

There are no pictures of this, for obvious reasons. 

Enjoy the bliss!

(Special thanks to Izzy's Curly Cakes Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe!) 

Make New Friends, but Keep the Old

So tonight I'm super pumped to be eating dinner with three lovely ladies: Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Dean, and Mrs. Bates, whom I've been pals with since we were little.  We make a point to get together twice a year for these "Catch-Up" dinners: in the summer and around the holidays. 

It's funny how we're all so very different, but alike, especially when we all get together.  All kinds of time can go by, but when we get together it's literally like we're all 15-years-old again, sitting at our corner booth at the Dairy Queen, gossiping and chatting about boys.  :)  (And yes, the Cullman Dairy Queen is the best DQ in the entire world.) 

We four gals have been around for both the good times and the bad times, and their company always gives me lots of laughs and similar musings on getting older.  I can't believe tonight we'll start planning our 10 Year Class Reunion... which means we are really getting on up there in the age department.  Mrs. Dean was our Class President (well, really all four of us ran something or other in high school), which means the other three of us will be right there with her, up to our elbows in memorabilia of high school past. 

(Yes, Mrs. Dean and Mrs. Bates are twins, in case you were wondering, but after many years of friendship, I don't think they look anything like.)

On another note, I successfully made Red Velvet Cupcakes last night.... from scratch.  And Vanilla Cream Cheese icing... from scratch.  Yep, no box of cake mix in sight.  Mrs. Pillsbury and Mr. Duncan Hines were not invited to the cooking soiree. 

I will be posting the recipe sometime this weekend, I promise. 

They will literally melt in your mouth, and I swear I saw stars when trying them.  I would advise sitting down while eating them, because they made me weak in the knees...

Okay, I may have gotten a little over zealous when baking them, but cooking is a great de-stresser.  I was whipping out cupcakes left and right. 

But when have I ever overdone anything?  Anyone?  Bueller? 

I cannot confirm or deny that I ate four of these heavenly wonders last night.

And then stuffed my face with another couple of them for breakfast. 

What's that you say?  Elastic waistband pants are a good idea when baking? 

PIVOT!

If you've been my friend for any amount of time, you know my devotion to the beloved television show, "Friends." Seriously, I will dominate in "Friends" Trivia Pursuit. It's a show I can watch - without fail - over and over again. I'm a lucky gal to be working with some tried-and-true Friends fans, as well! Yesterday afternoon at work, I had the pleasure of reminiscing favorite Friends memories with a couple of co-workers.


My absolute favorite, is the "PIVOT!" scene with Ross, Rachel, and Chandler. Tears will stream every time I watch it in sheer giggles. It also serves as a funny momento to every time my dear Dad has moved me in and out of apartments, sorority houses, etc. when we move a couch together. Yes, like Monica I'm freakishly strong (and quirky & OCD, among other things), but at some point whenever we're moving together, my Dad and I will yell out "Pivot!" to each other and then collaspe with laughter. Oh Dad, thanks for always being such a good sport when moving me.



Watch and enjoy, my friends.

Wordless Wednesday: Breakfast of Champions = Homemade Amish Friendship Bread.

Who knew baking bread would be so much fun?  It's like one big challenge dying to be solved.  LOVE IT. 

Good Lawd, it's hot outside.

I'm pretty sure this is where I'm living right now because of how HOT it is.

At lunch today my car read it was 107 degrees. 

That's not a typo.

This is real life.

Not to mention the humidty.  It's like being wrapped in a hot Snuggie at all times. 

So... to look on the bright side of things, can we get a camel to ride to work everyday?

And spit at people we don't like, of course. 

Wouldn't she be sassy to come to work with everyday? 

We'd be instant friends, I'm sure of it. 

Wordless Wednesday: Heaven on Earth.

Double Trouble

This weekend Mr. Smith and I (& Cooper) ventured down to T-Town for a wedding party for a couple of friends.  While we were there, we decided to pay a visit to our pals, the Pilsch's, and help them celebrate their twins' first birthday.  The Carrolls also joined us for this afternoon of fun, and by the end of the day, we were wore out. 

Mr. Smith, Mr. Carroll, Mr. Pilsch, and a Mr. Hubbard and Mr. Burns are all best pals because of their golden years of baseball.  They've done pretty much everything together since they were little ones.... college, getting married, and now having babies.  We thought it was only fitting for the four of us to pitch in to get the Pilsch twins (Jackson & Cullen) a couple of birthday presents from their Baseball Uncles and Aunts.

Soaking up plenty of Baby Love...

Mrs. Carroll has Cullen, and I have Jackson. 

These kids are pure hams.  No matter what they're doing, if you pull out your camera and say "Smile!" they'll stop whatever they're doing and pose for you. 

Precious.

Opening Thomas the Train was a big hit.

Dad and the Uncles helping figure out Thomas.

Right about now is when Mr. Smith looked up at Mrs. Pilsch and declared that twins were so easy!  He didn't know what all the fuss was about...

We practiced walking to Aunt Suz...

and practiced our baseball skills with Uncle Pelham...

But sometimes no matter what new toys you get, you just want an empty Gatorade bottle. 

We played nicely and pushed each other on Thomas...

(There are no pics of a certain 27-year-old Mrs. Smith riding Thomas, for obvious reasons.  However, the twins thought it was hysterical....)

Then it was Bottle Time.

And the Uncles enjoyed cuddling up and feeding the boys before Nap Time. 

Aren't they cute when they can hold their own bottles?

The twins, I mean.  Not the Uncles.