Treat Tuesday!

   It's Treat Tuesday once again!  This summer sure is flying by.  While I am enjoying these relaxing summer days at home with my children I really need to press pause.  So much will be changing come September.  The kids will be returning to school; which means I will officially have two boys in high school!  My daughter isn't too far behind.  She's so anxious to become a teenager that she somehow talked me into celebrating her 'half' birthday this week.  "Only one and a half birthdays until I'm a teenager Mom!" - Yikes! 

    Seriously, where is the remote control of life? I need to do more than press pause I need to hit record! I don't want to forget a moment of this time we are so fortunate to be sharing. I recently read a book called The Gift of an Ordinary Day; A Mother's Memoir by Katrina Kenison. It spoke volumes to me, particularly in terms of my thoughts.  Here is a quote that altogether encompasses how I've been feeling as of late:  

 “I know I can't make time slow down, can't hold our life as it is in a freeze frame or slow my children's inexorable journeys into adulthood and lives of their own. But I can celebrate those journeys by bearing witness to them, by paying attention, and, perhaps most of all, by carrying on with my own growth and becoming. Now it dawns on me that the only way I can figure out what I'm meant to be doing is to try to understand who I'm meant to be...I will not waste this life, not one hour, not one minute. I will not take for granted the blessing of our being here...I will give thanks...” 

          ~Katrina Kenison

    This book really made me realize that I need to stop and smell the cupcakes. That said here is my Tuesday recipe. Treat yourself by baking up a batch of these succulent summer cupcakes. They will have you pausing at least long enough to say "Yum!"  Savour the moment. 

 

Cupcakes:

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 C. oil

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 C. lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 C. milk

1/2 C. sour cream 

•  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners
•  Sift cake mix into a separate bowl breaking up any lumps, and set aside
•  In a large bowl whisk together eggs, oil, zest, lemon juice, vanilla, milk and sour cream until smooth
•  Stir in cake mix and blend until combined
•  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean

Lemon Glaze: 

zest of half of a lemon

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 2/3 cup powdered sugar

•  Combine all ingredients in a small glass bowl and whisk together with a fork until a smooth paste forms
• When cupcakes have cooled spoon glaze over tops and let set (about 10 minutes should do it)

Blackberry Buttercream Frosting: 

1 cup butter, softened

4-5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup blackberry puree (Simply toss a handful or two of fresh blackberries into the blender and puree.   Be sure to run the puree through a strainer to remove seeds before incorporating them into your frosting.)

• Beat butter until smooth
• Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, enough to make the frosting stiff
• Slowly add in blackberry puree 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency
• When lemon glaze is firm, pipe frosting on top and garnish with a fresh blackberry

*Thanks to YourCupOfCake for inspiring this recipe.