Club Scene
May 27th, 2009 § 3 Comments
As you get older there are signs your body is slowing down.
Your knees start aching when it is cold out, you get tired at 5:00 and consider calling it a night when it’s still light out. You begin to notice forehead wrinkles that seemingly appeared over night. These are life’s subtle way of telling you that you’re getting old. And then, other signs are more painful to come to grips with. I am talking about signs that catch you off guard and make it painfully undeniable that the general public is also aware of your increasing age. Like the first time the grocery store checker calls you ma’am, the first time you get pulled over by a police officer and the thought of flirting with him to get out of a ticket makes you feel like a pedophile, or the first time you realize you can’t remember the last time someone asked for your ID without giving you that knowing look of, “I’m asking for your benefit, not because I actually need to verify your age because clearly you are well over 21.” It’s the coming of age when you realize that you’re dancing days are over and you are too old to be in a club. This is a revelation that I came to this past weekend, when I went to a club with my brother and sister in law.
When I was younger immediately when I entered the club, my first instinct was to scan the room to find a cute guy to set my sights on. On this particular trip, my first instinct was to ask the DJ to turn the music down because it was much too loud and the blinking lights made me worry that I was moments away from an epileptic seizure. The club was like Abercrombie and Fitch times ten more decibels louder, which if you have ever been to the store you would know, that is LOUD.
People were pushing, bumping and grinding against one another and I was offended by the couple dry humping next to me. But my biggest focus, was on my aching feet in the very same heels that I use to be able to stand in until 2am. Clubbing isn’t the same for me as it was in my twenties. I use to be able to drink all night long and then being up by 10am to meet my friends in downtown HB for hang over recovery brunch. Now, any more than 2 vodka tonics means I run the risk of having to call in sick on Monday because I am still recovering from Saturday night drinks. So sadly, I think my club days are over because at 30 years old I have better things to hate myself for in the morning.
No Question
May 25th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
Clearly I am just a guest in this house and expected to pay the rent so Jack and Charlie can continue their lives of luxury.
Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
May 25th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
If you are anything like me, cupcakes are your idea of heaven. It’s no wonder that these days, people celebrate birthdays with cupcakes instead of an old fashioned cake. The most difficult part of eating cake at a party, is that you have to try and finagle a side piece with lots of border frosting or cross your fingers that you are lucky enough to get a piece with a flower on it. The best part of cupcakes is that there is no question…you will get the perfect amount of gobs of frosting to cake ratio.
Whenever I make cupcakes I double the frosting recipe because I love gobs of delicious frosting, especially when it is made with cream cheese. These cupcakes are very good, but I think they tend to lean towards people who favor less sugary type of cupcakes. The cake part is a little dense and the frosting is a creamy cream cheese frosting.
Recipe
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature or 1 cup of sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Icing
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, two at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.
Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Fill the cupcake liners to the 2/3-level with batter. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
For the icing, mix the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer, on low speed, mixing just until smooth. Spread the frosting on top of each cupcake. You can also put the frosting in a ziploc bag and cut the corner off of it and squeeze the frosting onto each of the cupcakes. This is my preferred method as it helps you to pile the frosting on top!
