So Domestic

In honor of this perfect (albeit rainy at the moment) Fall Break weekend in the Northeast and my need to indulge in all things pumpkin-flavored, I am going to attempt to get domestic.  This is a little scary considering that though I can microwave a lean cuisine with the best of them, I am no Martha.  I usually leave the cooking to my Mom and sister who can whip up even the most complicated recipes from the Food Network with ease.  I, on the other hand, am the sous-chef - I can chop veggies and stir a pot like nobody’s business.  But I just can’t resist these pumpkin cupcakes so I am going to give it my best shot.  I figure with that irresistible pumpkin scent and enough icing smothered on top, even I can’t screw this one up.  And just in case, I am home for the weekend and have Mama Ball standing by in case anything goes really awry.  I’ll let you know how it goes!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing 

(Courtesy of Patent and the Pantry)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I doubled this because I love nutmeg.)

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (I used a 14-ounce can and it was still lovely and pumpkin-y)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and the spices. In another bowl, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Then whisk in pumpkin puree.  Line the cupcake pan with liners and fill each about halfway with batter. Bake until tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pans if needed. (I have one pan, so did not bother with that step.) Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and sugar.

Homecoming Bliss

As promised, a homecoming post.  On Friday afternoon I headed east on I-40 to the dash for Wake Forest homecoming.  And I swear to you as I crossed that Tennessee/North Carolina state line I got butterflies.  It had been a whole year since I’d stepped foot on the campus and I could not wait to be back.  I was craving cheap keg beer and a walk on the Mag Quad.  And the weekend did not disappoint.  It was nothing short of fabulous and my friends and I took advantage of every second together.

We caught up on life.  Talking about our cities, our jobs, and following our passions.  And in the same breath we gossiped about who made out with who last night, swore like sailors, and talked about anything and everything inappropriate.  We danced in frat sludge, gorged on Putter’s cheese fries, and laughed to the point of stomachaches and mascara stained cheeks.  We drank too much beer at the tailgate and then, over just baked bread soaked in Elizabeth’s house dressing, talked about how lucky we were to have each other in our lives.  We hugged each other hard and pronounced how very much we had missed each other.  And I’m pretty sure I said the phrase “I am so happy right now” at least a hundred times.  And I was.  So happy.

Today...

          I was kicked out of the nest.  No, no, my parents did that a long time ago, insisting that I would be a more well-adjusted young woman if I did my own taxes and paid for my own car insurance.  But today my supervisor kicked me out of the nest right onto the floor of the Neuro ICU where I was expected to do two cognitive/language evaluations and one bedside swallow evaluation.  All.by.my.self.  Gulp.  I tried to act as calm and collected as possible but inside a panic attack was in full swing and I was pretty sure that my patient was going to aspirate and get pneumonia and it would be all my fault.  Though I got lost going to a patient’s room, administered the wrong assessment, and accidentally paged my supervisor three times (instead of one), when I was with each patient I think that I was able to pull off the illusion that I actually knew exactly what I was doing.  And nobody died.  I guess you could say that is was an okay first fly!

Hope you had a happy Monday!  Homecoming post coming soon...

Get Out of Town

            Recently, I have had the urge to travel.  To just pick up and head somewhere fabulous.  Maybe it's because it is abroad season for the WFU crowd and my facebook stalking of their photos has resulted in some serious FOMO (to my grandparents: FOMO = fear of missing out).  Or maybe it's because my days at the Bill Will are becoming a little redundant and I am salivating for something new and different.  Regardless of the cause, my desire to jet-set is quite hard to ignore.  Hence the reason I sent my sister an urgent email last week asking for her thoughts on a Spring Break trip to Napa.  Neither of us has been and the thought of drinking excessive amounts of wine and frolicking through a vineyard with my sissy seems to be just what the doctor ordered.  Though it may be months away, planning for the trip will commence immediately and will hopefully tide me over through those gray months ahead!

And because I'm feeling the need to get away right this second and Spring Break seems so far away, I am packing up and heading for good old Winston-Salem this weekend!  Okay, so it's not nearly as glamorous as Napa but I have a feeling that the weekend will be just as fabulous.

30 Do-Anything Minutes

            One of the curses of being in grad school, or maybe just being a grown-up in general, is that virtually every moment is scheduled.  When I am not in class, I am in clinic, and when I am not in clinic or class I am doing school work.  When I do spend a few minutes watching trashy reality tv or catching up on my USWeekly, I have that stomach-twisting feeling of guilt because I really should be working on my Language Disorders assignment or writing up my Acoustics lab.  Okay so it's really not that bad (just the inner drama queen chiming in for a second), but it would be nice to have just a few minutes each day when I couldn't think about work and school.  The list of all the things I would do with just 30 do-anything minutes each day is getting longer by the second...

• Read my new Oprah magazine.  A girlfriend of mine swears that Oprah magazine and a big bowl of ice cream are her therapy.  I kind of agree.

• Go for a run on this gorgeous, chilly Fall morning.
• Catch up on my blog-stalking.
• Call my sweet friend Karoline whom I have been meaning to catch up with for far too long.  Judy, I know I have been the worst at phone tag but will call you tonight.

• Make some S'mo casserole (recipe coming soon) to celebrate the fact that it is about the time for warm, yummy casseroles that taste even better as leftovers.

What would you do with 30 do-anything minutes added to your day?