Birthday Grand Melón Lemonade Cupcakes

Tomorrow is my 26th birthday! I haven't baked cocktail cupcakes in a while, so I decided it was appropriate to celebrate with the Grand Melón Lemonade cupcake.  It's based on my signature drink, Bacardi Grand Melón watermelon rum mixed with lemonade and a splash of club soda.  It was invented in Milwaukee the week after my 23rd birthday.  The cupcakes turned out fantastic, even if the watermelon flavor was a little more subtle than I hoped.  Here's what I did!.....

First things first, pour an inspiration cocktail! 

Liquify a chunk of watermelon, then add enough Grand Melón so the whole mixture equals 1 1/3 cups

Add Watermelon Rum mixture, 1/3 cup oil, and 3 eggs to a lemon cake box mix

Mix it. Oh yeah, mix it real good.  Mm...
 

Oil a muffin tin, parcel out batter in 1/4 cup increments, and bake at 350º F for 18-20 minutes

When those bad boys are done, they should look a little something like this.  Let them cool for 5 minutes
 

Then let them get completely cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile in frosting land, mix 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 stick of butter, zest of a lemon,
a splash of vanilla, milk, and more Grand Melón.  Butter Cream, baby. Dig it.

Frost thusly 

Get drunk off cupcake.  (Please consume responsibly...)

I hope you've enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at Camelot Bakery.  I'm excited to share these with my friends tomorrow! 26... it's going to be a good year.  I can feel it.

Zombie Jesus Day

For the second year in a row, I'm away from my family on Easter.  Last year I was in Puerto Rico, and now I'm in Florida. Since I'm not religious, Easter doesn't hold much spiritual weight for me.  Still, it's hard to be away from family on days like this.  I think part of growing up means starting your own traditions, even if they only stick for a year.

My day started watching the Chicago Blackhawks play the Detroit Red Wings in NBC's Game of the Week... ON TV!! For most games I have to listen to the WGN Radio online stream, and it always feels like a treat to watch the few national broadcasts.  My dad got me hooked on the sport before I can even remember. Watching and listening to hockey connects me to home like few things do.  I sat in my living room in my Blackhawks sweater watching Chicago score goal after goal after goal.... repeat that four more times! Final score: 7-1.

Later in the day, a few friends came over for a Rum Ham! I wanted an excuse to make this recipe by my favorite food blogger, Dan over at The Food In My Beard, and Easter seemed like a good enough excuse.  The recipe was inspired by an episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia where Frank simultaneously eats and gets drunk via a rum-soaked ham.  We felt it only proper to watch that and a few more episodes while eating our meal.  The Rum Ham was a HUGE hit, and our guests brought some other kick-ass sides.  Needless to say, we were all stuffed!  Not bad for a last-minute get together!  I only wish I had remembered to take a few "before pictures" of our spread.

The after...... RUM HAM!!!

I closed out the evening watching The Walking Dead season finale.  Jesus is kind of the world's most famous Zombie (get it? he rose from the dead!...) so it seemed fitting.  Season three ended much more poignantly than season two.  I really missed watching it with my late-night crew in the conference room in Puerto Rico.  At least my friend, Chris and I were able to chat online while it aired.  It's always fun to banter about the scenes with someone.

It was a great way to end the day, and a great day to end the month.  February and March have been a little emotionally dodgy for me.  This month I especially slacked on my blog.  In April I'd like to do better, and I'm challenging myself to write every day.  And if not on every day, then encompassing every day.  I think April going to be a better month filled with excitement...and not just because of my birthday ;)

Banana Muffin Fail

Today, something strange happened.  I experienced a baking systems failure.  The majority of my baking experimentation produces something of the "intoxicatingly" marvelous.  Not today.  I found this recipe for Banana Bread Protein Muffins online, and I thought it sounded like a tasty, carb-satiating way to add a little more protein to snack time.  Unfortunately, I was less than impressed with the result.  They looked great when I opened the oven but deflated IMMEDIATELY.  What the hell?  And the center was done but dense and mushy, far from the fluffy muffin I had imagined.

Droopy muffins....

.... with a dense center.

My roommate and I split the first one.  I can't say that I'm a fan.  Samantha liked them though (which is great because she has 11 more to look forward to!).  Really, their flavor is good, but for me, the texture leaves much to be desired.  I haven't entirely given up hope on this recipe yet.  Here are my three hypotheses of what went wrong:

1) I used the wrong oats.  The recipe called for oats instead of flour, and the whole batter gets processed in the bender. We only had steel-cut oats in the kitchen, which I don't know much about.  Maybe rolled oats would keep a better structure.

2) My banana was too ripe.  I used a brown banana that Samantha had stashed in the freezer for such an occasion.  When thawed, it was almost too soft to handle.  Maybe a fresher, slightly less ripe banana would prevent the dense texture.

3) This recipe is crap.  There is a fundamental flaw somewhere in the methods and materials as described by the author.  Maybe I should just stick to drunken cupcakes.

I'll probably give this recipe another go at some point, but all in all, the batch I have is edible.  Samantha and I joked that the divot on top will make a good vessel for peanut butter.  Peanut butter always makes life better.

Never Too Old For LEGOs

Might as well just say it; LEGOs are fucking awesome.  They always have been and always will be.  Growing up, I'm pretty sure my brother and I had the largest collection out of any of our friends, amassing new sets every birthday and Christmas.  After a long hiatus, my mom decided to give both of us small sets in our stockings this year for funsies.  Mine is a little girl driving a little car.  Mom said it made her think of the Jeep I rented for my solo adventure in Puerto Rico.  Finding the little set reminded me of so many Christmases from years ago and made me smile.

Tonight, I finally tore that bad boy open to assemble it.  Now that I think about it, I'm disappointed in myself for not doing it Christmas morning!  What was I thinking?!  I guess the adult in me was distracted by my new big kid toy, my own GPS, and the LEGOs got brushed into a pile of things to bring back to Florida. But I found them today after cleaning my room and decided I had waited long enough.

I nestled into the living room chair and tore open the package with anticipation.  When I dumped the contents onto the ottoman, 32 tiny plastic pieces clinked together creating an unmistakable sound.  The instructions were folded into a little square, and I opened it like it was an eight-step treasure map.  My eyes widened as I dug through the pile to find the right pieces. A familiar feeling of delight washed over me.  I built the frame on the chassis, attached the windshield and grill, and snapped all four wheels into place with a satisfying "click" then took a moment to admire my creation.  And of course the test drive down the arm of the chair was wildly successful.

For the rest of the night, I idly rolled the car from place to place. I'd walk to another room still holding it and drive it across the wall.  It became almost subconscious and soothing.  There are some things that I will never feel to old to enjoy.