Summertime Blues

Right smack-dab in the Summer O Fun, life happened. My cousin Nicole, and her family are moving to Florida. I think it's awesome. I think it's a great opportunity for their family. Everyone is sad to see them go, but maybe because I'm usually on the other side of that situation, I'm mostly excited for them.

The same can't be said for my boys. We don't exactly have an over abundance of cousins running around. So, today, at what was probably the last official pool party at Uncle Jimmy's, the boys plotted and planned for sleepovers and visits to Florida. Conor didn't say too much after we left.

I guess it these changes that prepare you for the big stuff of life, but it's hard for them.

Wouldn't it be nice if we suffered so little disappointment that it never got easy?




Declan's Magnolia Tree

the Jim

It's been a heck of a week. I started summer semester at UMASS on Monday and was back for more on Tuesday. Two nights in a row, out past my bedtime, I was pretty much sleeping at my desk by Wednesday! So, Wednesday night I baked. I pulled an untried (by me) recipe from my best cupcake cookbook, and the Jim was born. This cupcake was named after a co-worker whose birthday invited it into being...Thanks, Jim!

carrot, orange, & golden raisin cupcakes

~ from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. grated orange zest

1 cup finely chopped or grated carrots (about 2 carrots)

3/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (I find walnuts to be the snoozer of the nut world, I used pecans)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners. Spray the paper liners with non-stick spray.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in oil, vanilla, and orange zest until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the carrots, raisins and walnuts (pecans).

Fill each paper liner with 1/4 cup of batter, to about 1/2 inch below the top of the liner. Bake until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 28 minutes.

Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter @ room temp.
6 ounces cream cheese @ room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. grated orange zest

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.

Add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, about one minute, then beat on medium speed for 1 minute to lighten the frosting further. Add the orange zest and beat until incorporated.

Frost the cupcakes and serve, or refrigerate. Cupcakes can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. Honestly, these cupcakes improve with a night in the cold...it gives the orange flavor time to come out.