Summer Rose and I had some sweet things in mind…in light of Valentines Day…and decided to make some dreamy chocolate cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting….

Love that Betty Crocker! I always keep some of Miss Betty’s cake mixes on hand for quick and easy treats!
Summer and I gathered our ingredients (all four…the mix, eggs, water and oil). We are very fortunate that Summer’s good friend Raliegh, who lives just a hop, skip, and a jump down a country road, often shares eggs with us from the chickens her Mama raises. Fresh off the farm eggs are richer in flavor and the sunflower-yellow yolk is so much brighter than store bought ones.
Summer lookin’ all cute and sweet in my cupcake apron…measures the water….

In goes the cake mix, water, and eggs……(Oh! have I ever told you I love my Kitchen Aid mixer so much I want to marry it. Well, I do!) You may notice the little red scratch on Summer’s jawline….that is what is left from the accident she had on Thanksgiving day. She has healed so remarkably…the doctors thought it would take six months to recover fully. (Thank you all for praying for her!)

Little Miss Summer Rosey

whipped up the chocolate goodness….

Looking as sweet as a cupcake herself,
She ever so carefully fills the pan lined with paper baking cups…..

We danced a little….sang some sassy tunes…and giggled a lot!

With a damp paper towel Summer wiped any drips off of the pan, so we wouldn’t have any burnt bits of batter stuck on. Well, we were all set to pop that pan of chocolate cupcake-love in the oven when I discovered…..whoops-a-daisy….we were having so much fun we forgot to pour the oil in the batter! Oopsie Doopsie!

But guess what?

  • We did not fret.
  • There were no angry words.
  • We did not become frustrated or discouraged.
  • There was no shame or blame.
  • We did not quit and throw the whole batch away!

Instead, we discussed two solutions:

Plan A: we could go ahead and bake them and see how they would turn out.

Plan B: we could dump the batter back in the bowl add the oil, mix it again and bake it with all of the ingredients needed.

As a team, we voted on plan B. So both of us gently lifted the flimsy batter filled cups and poured the chocolate goop back into the mixing bowl. It was hilarious! Trying to squeeze and scrape every drop of batter out of the paper baking cups felt like we were milking a cow. It was sort of an I Love Lucy training session! Yes, we got a little messy….and we got a whole lot giggly…but we were making making the best of the situation.

Daddy heard the sounds of joy and wanted to get in on the fun….

Here is a girl who knows she is loved!
I am actually very glad that this mishap happened! What a great teaching opportunity for Summer….to teach her to stay calm and cool when you face a dilemma or make a mistake…to think of a solution to the problem….to keep a joyful heart and make the best of it and carry on. And if something doesn’t work out like you had hoped, no big deal, just try again.

As a mother hen, I am relentless about creating emotional safety in my home….protecting my child’s spirit. There was no need for angry or frustrating words…words that could do such harm. Every word we say is a seed that is planted in a heart. I want my daughter to have a harvest of joyful memories of home (and me!) when she grows up.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. ~Mother Teresa

Hooray we did it! Now it’s time to bake!

“Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body.” Proverbs 16:24


While the cupcakes were baking we whipped up a batch of Strawberry Buttercream Frosting…good and buttery! Here is the recipe:

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
1 box of powered sugar (1 Lb.–about 3 1/2 to 4 cups)
2 sticks butter (salted–softened NOT melted)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup (plus 2 tablespoons if needed) pureed frozen strawberries, thawed (sweetened in juice –put in blender to puree)

Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the pureed strawberries and Vanilla. Whip until fluffy. If it seems too stiff, add some more strawberry puree one tablespoon at a time until you get the creamy consistency you want.

To our delight, the cupcakes turned out moist and delicious, just as Miss Betty promised!
Cupcake love.

Take every opportunity

to breathe blessings in to the hearts of those you love.

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” ~Mother

Our hubby’s need encouragement too. They need to know how much we appreciate them, adore them, admire them, desire them. I was reminded of something Dr. Phil said when a sweet young mom named DeBran mentioned it on her blog….(DeBran actually went to High School with my daughter Ashley! Check out her BLOG HERE, she is a wise young mama with two adorable babies!)

Anyhoo…Dr. Phil said that every morning we should ask ourselves
“How can I make my husband’s (or wife’s) life better today?”
What a great way to keep selfishness away, and the welfare of those we love as a top priority. What a difference a day makes when we begin it with a loving attitude! (Thanks DeBran!)

“A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman–who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of honest gain….She comforts, encourages and does him only good as long as there is life within her….” Proverbs 31:10-12

None of us are perfect and we will mess up from time to time, but that’s what the words “I’m so sorry” are for.

“If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.” 1 Corinthians 13:7

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you sweet cupcakes out there in blogland who have left me such encouraging comments! They mean more to me than you will ever know! It is so reassuring to know that there are so many like-minded gals out there that also have a passion for the home and family. God bless you for being a blessing to me!


Now about that Buttermilk Pie recipe….it is coming…stay tuned! I want to also address some questions/concerns about cast iron cooking and give a source for the see-through lid that I use. Until then, Have a dreamy Valentines Day!

Hugs!

RuthAnn