The Bubblewrap Chronicles

First of all I feel it necessary to admit, declare, confirm, proclaim, note, and divulge, that I HATE moving! Hate. Did you hear me? I said HATE!

You may remember the previous gripe on the subject of house hunting and moving, but now I can safely say that I had no idea what I was talking about! My past moving experience has been fairly limited, my first moving adventure was when I was 4. We moved to the house I completed my childhood in, and although I am sure it was very traumatic - the level of stress I suffered was relatively minimal...given the fact that I was 4...and that it wasn't across the plains...in a covered wagon.

The next move was from said childhood home to Utah. While most definitely traumatic, the whole boxes, clothing, housing thang was really the least of it. I am generally a stiff-upper-lip-kind-of-girl, but leaving the nest proved emotionally strong enough to crack even my steel facade. From there I did switch apartments in the complex I live in, but that wasn't a real move.

But this, this is insane. I have been working all day, and all I have succeeded in doing is making piles of shtuff that need to be transported across town! So here is my thought, I am thinking that I could adopt the Bedouin lifestyle and only own that which can fit on my camel's saddle. Huh, huh? What do you think? I mean that does mean that I would have to abandon the retail world, except for the occasional bazaar we pass, and that I would probably never have an occasion to wear my favorite cow-skin pumps again...but it could be fun.................ok even thinking about it is freaking me out!

Fine! Back to packing. UGH!

Cupcake Love

A couple of weeks ago I went on a magical journey to a beautiful and happy place. In this happy place I ate (okay devoured) some AMAZING cupcakes.

I had read about The Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery here in Provo from one of the many food blogs I like to read. I decided to check out their website and not long after that I resolved to visit it, and soon.

Finally the day arrived. My brother in-law was off fishing with his dad, so my sister and I staged a very important and scientific taste test of six of The Sweet Tooth Fairy's cupcakes.


Let me introduce you to the gang (clockwise from the top left): Double Fudge, Toasted Coconut, Lemon, Peanut Butter, Black & White, Red Velvet.

The Double Fudge cupcake had a delightfully dark chocolate cake with a dark and dangerous fudge frosting, all topped off with a Maraschino Cherry. I love Maraschino Cherries, don't know if I have ever mentioned it before, my sister thinks I am sick.

Toasted Coconut I think was my favorite, all of you "Chocolate is KING" people out there settle down - I am not jumping ship. Although I do love me so me chocolate anything, the Toasted Coconut cupcake was so complex and thrilling that it has to be given top billing. The cake was white cake, but it was dense like a yellow cake, then the frosting had the delightful flavor of coconut and almond all topped with the nutty toasted coconut that added color and texture to the whole experience.

The Lemon was out of this world! So often when I eat or bake "lemon" things it seems like the flavor just isn't all there. That wonderful sensation when you eat something so lemony that it makes you pucker, in a good way, many times seems like it is missing. Not in this little beauty! The cake is dense and filled with lemon zest, as is the frosting. The frosting is covered lightly in sugar and is topped by a quarter of a lemon to add to the lemon motif. Refreshing and rich at the same time, I think this one was my sister's favorite.

Originally we had saved the Peanut Butter one for Tyler, he love anything PB, but since he was not equal to the task of dispatching the entire cupcake on his own Lisa and I were there to lend a helping hand, we are oh so self sacrificing that way. The cake was dark chocolate with a peanut better frosting and topped with chopped up Reeses cups.

The Black & White was a brilliant contrast, hence the name, the cake was the same dark chocolate as the Double Fudge, but it was topped with the almond/coconut frosting that topped the Toasted Coconut cupcake. So simple, yet so impressive.

Last but not least the Red Velvet. Here I must add that I don't quite get the draw of Red Velvet cake, I mean all it is is chocolate cake colored red after all, nevertheless people are always going on about it. This cake was very moist and was barely able to support itself when weighed down by the heaving Cream Cheese frosting, but the chocolate/cream cheese combo always gets me, and I could not think ill of the little blushing cupcake.

All in all a very educational and low fat adventure but if you are looking for a little treat, check out the Sweet Tooth Fairy Bakery in Provo, your taste buds will thank you.

P.S. I found this shirt that I think I need-

I kinda love it, what do you think?

WARNING: Deep thoughts ahead - proceed at your own risk!

As I sat in my room a few minutes ago, I had an epiphany. Don't be distracted by the big word, it just seem appropriate as I am attempting to wax philosophical.

When I need to escape I have a few pet methods of applying mental Novocain:

1. Shopping, especially for shoes. "When I feel bad I like to treat myself. Clothes never look any good... food just makes me fatter... shoes always fit."
2. Baking. Baking requires concentration so one does not accidentally mix up the salt and sugar, or worse - forgets to add the chocolate. Everything should involve chocolate at some point, even if it means that I am popping chocolate chips while mixing up the rare non-chocolate dessert.
3. Eating - this requires no thought at all...which might by why it is so dangerous.
4. Reading - I truly relish the freedom an engrossing book gives you. If you allow yourself to be sucked it, and you are really lucky, you could avoid surfacing for hours.
5. This one is very potent. Sometimes when I am really in the "depths of despair", I do something so heinous - so monstrous - so wicked...

come closer and I will tell you....

closer...

closer...

I watch... The Thorn Birds.

All 8 hours. The pain, loss, sacrifice, tragedy and suffering.

So now, as I itemize all of these methods of mental anesthesia, I am struck by the realization that all my methods of escape are slightly self destructive. Should I be concerned? Nah! Scarlett had it right - I won't think about that now...I'll think about it tomorrow.

4th of July, and my sometimes insensitive sense of humor

First off Happy 4th of July!

I hope you all had a wonderful day filled with fun, family, friends, good food, and fireworks! I really love this holiday, and not just for the fact that it makes me yearn for Old Navy, American Eagle Outfitters, Gap, and Martha Stewart's patriotic creativity.

I am seriously so blessed to live in this country! (I put that part in just for you Val.) But, truly I am. Saturday morning I attended the Provo City parade, and although I do not personally relish the parade itself per se, I love to see the way that so many people are brought together to celebrate the freedoms we all enjoy. I also love to watch my little cousins sitting on the curb, three little boys sitting in a row clapping, laughing, and scrambling for the candy that gets thrown from the passing floats and cars. Seriously so adorable!

Well after the parade we adjourned to my cousin Ashley's house for a little BBQ with the fam and friends. Now the way family gatherings involving food play out in our family is that everyone gets assignments or signs up to bring part of the meal. Today I volunteered to bring dessert - confession I like to bring dessert if I can because it is the course I can most relate to, so I kind of hog it...sorry. Anyway, I told Ash I would bring dessert and then set to the task of coming up with the perfect patriotic dessert to bring.

Lucky for me, not so much for my waistline, my loverly friend Shem offered the idea of making one of her family's favorite desserts. It is genius! You make pie crust, for me that involves buying the Pillsbury pre made crust and unrolling it, bake it on a cookie sheet until cooked, it takes about 7-9 minutes in a 425 oven. Before baking the crust I scored it randomly with a paring knife to make it easier to break up, as well as pricking it with a fork all over to prevent bubbles and sprinkled it with granulated sugar.

Once the crust is baked and slightly cooled break it up into bite sized, or a little bigger, pieces. Now you will prepare your fruit. Today, in keeping with the holiday, I used sliced strawberries and whole blueberries that I tossed with sugar and a little lemon zest - but you could seriously do this with any fruit. Put a good portion of broken crust in a bowl and top with many spoon fulls of fruit.

Now, to truly complete the dish, you pour heavy cream over it all. Not whipped cream, the heavy cream before it is whipped up. Then you dig in! The berries are sweet and tart and the crust soaks up the cream to make a slightly mooshy blob of happiness. Following my short affair with this dessert , I decided that I would heretofore call this "Oklahoma Style Short-Cake". When I announced this decision Ashley looked at me with an expressions that can only be described as slightly appalled. Somehow when I said "Oklahoma Style Short-Cake" she heard "Local Homeless Style Short-Cake". Now for reasons that escape explanation this was instantly hilarious, maybe it was having to get up so early to be at the parade at 9, maybe it was the sun we had been liberally exposed to, but whatever it was we laughed long and hard about it. We are freaks like that.

So what, you may ask, is the point of all this? I will tell you; make Oklahoma Style/Local Homeless Style Short-Cake today, you will love it! Then while you are devouring this delightful dish contemplate this great country we all live in.

Twinkie Theory

Twinkies are delicious!

They are soft, and sweet, moist, and tasty. You tear open that crinkly plastic wrapper and your senses are assailed by the tempting aroma of this grocery isle treasure. You divest the Twinkie of its plastic prison, and admire its beauty. The rich yellow color, the convenient shape that makes shoveling them into your mouth so effortless.

Now is the moment you have waited for in such anticipation - the first bite. Delicately you sink your teeth into the supple sponge cake and taste, for the first time, the fluffy cream filling.

Oh, the bliss! The blinding moments of utter contentment!

I like Twinkies, I don't know if you got that.

Alas, for all their tasty perfection man, or woman in this case, can not live on Twinkies alone.

Now before I go on I feel it important to note that I cannot claim full credit for the following theory. It came to me, as if in a dream...okay more like the reality of family dinner. During said event the conversation turned to movies, one of my favorite subjects, and my Uncle Chad's use of Twinkie imagery inspired me. Thank you Chad!

Anyway, back to the task at hand.

There are times when we all get sick of the cold cereal/PBJ sandwich/cold pizza/cracker and cheese - meals held standing at the counter, and long for a good home cooked meal. Something wholesome and filling that you walk away from full and enriched. These are the times when your gas tank has been filled and you are given the power to dig deep and do great things and feel the drive to think and make the world a better place that it is.

Are you lost yet? I have a point I promise!

Well just as there are times when we crave substance, sometimes we just want a Twinkie. It has no nutritional value, in fact it may be of negative nutritional value, it does not fill you up, and you don't often light upon brilliant realizations during the consumption of a Twinkie. But sometimes...sometimes a Twinkie is just what you need - the opportunity to escape and enjoy a few precious moments away from the meat and potatoes world.

This is Twinkie Theory. It can be applied to just about anything, but I found it most applicable to movies and books. My mother, sisters and I had a little girls only day this past week, and we went to see The Proposal. It was a Twinkie. It was adorable! Light, funny,romantic, made me cry - shocker I know. I knew walking into the theatre and taking my reclining seat, exactly what I was going to see play out on the screen for the next 2-ish hours. But that is exactly what I wanted, and it delivered.

Being an English major I hear so many of my class mates and teachers rant about all the "good" literature and movies there are out there to be consumed, and how they cannot bear to hear of people who would waste the precious time we have on this planet by dallying with less-than-Earth-moving-drivel! To them I say that I am sorry. Don't get me wrong, I still love my Fillet Mignon and roasted summer vegetables with a dark chocolate torte for dessert, but sometimes you just need a Twinkie.

So, my wish for each of you is that you go forth today in search of a Twinkie to brighten up your life. It need not be an actual Twinkie, but you know what I mean.

Blog Stalking: A 21st Century Pastime

Hello.

My name is Allyson Kuykendall...and I stalk food blogs, written by people I don't even know, in my spare time.

(Unison: "Hi Allyson")

When faced with a spare minute or 60, one of my favorite things to do is to skip lightly from blog to blog in search for new recipes to feed my culinary obsession. It's so much fun to see what ideas other people have, what recipes they have tried, how they liked them-or didn't like them, which cookbooks they are reading, and what new cookware is available.

But do you know what really bugs me about these blogs that I love so very, very much?

I will tell you.

It drives me totally, completely, wholly, and all consumingly (don't worry, I know that I totally just made the word up) insane when people talk about something they made and neglect to share the recipe! It's just mean, that is what it is.

So here and now I vow, to anyone who cares at all, to always share my recipes with anyone who is in the least bit interested.

Whew! You know, Kyra Sedgwick is right! Confession is good for the soul.

Spa day, is a special day!

Last week my little sister Phyllis turned 21. So in honor of such an auspicious occasion my other sister Lisa and I treated her to a relaxing spa day. I love going to the spa, I always come out so relaxed and at one with the world. It is so nice to be pampered and taken care of, and there is nothing like that delicious tiredness that comes from doing nothing but relaxing.

Well, since my fancy financial planning classes tell me that going to the spa every week is not a smart use of mah muney - I have been trying to come up with what you could call (roll eyes up and then right to left), DIY spa treatments. Here goes...

*Sauna Treatment*

Now since sitting in the sauna is basically sitting in a really, really, dry, hot space - this is one of the easier treatments to replicate. All you need to do is park your car somewhere in the direct sun (I suggest the Kalahari desert) and let it sit there and preheat for about 6 hours. Once the car has reached the approximate internal temperature of 160F, you are all set!

As quickly as possible open the door and hop in so the heat doesn't have a chance to escape. You will probably be a little...uncomfortable at first, but just relax and embrace the heat, allow it to work its magic and focus on sweating out all your toxins. Voila! A near authentic spa treatment that didn't cost a dime.

Well that's all I've got for now but stay tuned, there's more on the way.