Cake in a Cup

Cake in a cup. No, seriously, there are recipes out there for a multitude of different flavored personal creations that you can make in a matter of minutes utilizing one single coffee mug. What sadistic wacko came up with this idea? I'm pretty sure it was an employee at a sweat pant manufacturer or leisure wear conglomerate or I know...the makers of those Pajama Jeans! Because let me tell you, once you cross over and enter the world of cake in a cup those pajama jeans are going to be the only thing you will be able to put on!

In all honesty, the concept is genius. How many times have you wanted a little something sweet, but realizing the limits of your will power or the fact that you have absolutely none, you deny that sweet tooth craving. But alas, the craving doesn't just go away! In fact, it deepens, festers, patiently waiting for just the right moment to rear its ugly head. It catches you off guard and quickly consumes you until you find yourself a pitiful heap of lost consciousness completely unaware of your surroundings or the passage of time clutching a chocolate covered fork and licking what was once a lovely serving platter that brimmed with 3/4 of a decadent Death by Chocolate 3 layer cake. The only will power you have remaining is quickly summoned to hide the glutenous evidence and concoct a plausible story to cover your  chocolate crumb trail.

So really, the concept of having a single serving of decadent goodness in under 5 minutes could save countless regret laden binge fests. The reality of the situation is that having a warm and gooey personal cake in less that 5 minutes is entirely to convenient for most of us that suffer from the debilitating affliction of IHAVENOWILLPOWERitis. People, I found the recipe for Nutella Cake in a Cup 2 days ago and I already know the ingredients by heart!

These little treats don't skimp on yummy calorie loaded goodness either. This is not a healthy eating alternative. Although, I do make myself feel better by using organic flour, milk and eggs in my creations but somehow I don't think that negates the health issues that arise with the Nutella, sugar and oil. While web surfing for additional cake in a cup recipes I came across an 100 calorie version, but for some reason I skipped right over that one. Maybe when my pajama jeans don't fit anymore I will revisit that possibility.

In the meantime I have come up with an absolutely fabulous cake in a cup indulgent idea that is masked as a selfless and giving gesture. The end of the school year is rapidly approaching and therefore teacher gifts must be thought out and created. My mission, to gather and taste test as many cake in a cup creations, photographing my journey and assembling them and the winning receipies into a mini book lovingly bound and placed in a cake in a cup worthy mug decorated by my kids! Feel free to jump on this band wagon with me and in the meantime I will contact Pajama Jeans and see if we can get a discount on a bulk order.

The Beast known as Pinterest

I have issues. OK, I know we have already established that I have many issues but let's touch on only one at a time. I am the queen of the wild hair and lately I have sprouted more wild hairs than a Bigfoot has covering its entire body. I really don't know what comes over me but I can tell you that it comes in spurts, which is probably the only reason I remain married. My family has learned that the roller coaster that is my wild hair binges will only be around for a short while. Like a brilliant star, I will burn bright, blinding all those in my mini orbit only to putter out until I once again return to the comfort of monitoring the sofa and making sure no one steals it.

My latest wild hair binge is different though and I think it is scaring us all, me included. My normal "I just gotta get some stuff done" mantra has a new fuel, a drug, an enabling entity that threatens life as we know it...Pinterest!

Hello, My name is ______ (go ahead, insert your name, it is the first step after all) and I am a Pinterest Addict. I am known to sit up late at night, become engrossed while at my children's practices and anytime I am the passenger in the car you can find me cyber surfing the mother of all addicting web sites. I have wasted hours and hours perusing through pages and pages of fresh new ideas, recipes, crafts, quotes and just about anything that I can. I "pin" ideas constantly in anticipation that I will go back and take that idea and make it my own. Beautiful spaces crowd the pages and I want my home to look like those. I have been reduced to an envious, coveting fiend that wields a "to do" list like it is Excalibur. I will have a Pinterest worthy life even if it kills me!

In the last two weeks my Pinterest fueled wild hair and I have painted the master bathroom a beautiful sage green and accessorized it with rich tones of chocolate brown and forest green. Baseboards, doors and vanity were all freshened up with bright white paint and now we all refer to the area as our "grown ups" bathroom. I am in my 40s and I finally have a "grown up" room!

My Pinterest wild hair and I then moved outdoors and enlisted the help of my husband to dig out, frame and pour a new concrete walkway in the back yard. That was a two day project that included 1,710 pounds of concrete, 500 pounds of gravel and countless dirty looks of exasperation from my spouse. Our walkway is a thing of beauty but my wild hair was still not satisfied. We then moved massive amounts of dirt around to create a new flower bed with freshly planted ground cover and a wine barrel garden of fresh flowers. While we were at it we also planted some grass seed to try to bring back the area we trampled out during the concrete path project. You would think after all that we would be tired...well, I was at least but my wild hair still had other Pinterest ideas.

Currently, Pinterest Wild Hair and I are in the midst of a building project. With the rejuvenation of the back yard we are sorely lacking seating areas so bring on the benches! We are building 4 solid wood benches that can be rearranged and changed like a modular sofa to add seating, table space and countless other possibilities, which I am sure will be inspired by Pinterest. As I was dragging out the table saw for this latest foray into home improvement wonderfulness, I found myself promising my husband he wouldn't have to lift a finger. The look on his face assured me that if I didn't make good on that promise there would be some explaining to do!

Right now, Pinterest Wild Hair and I are experiencing a rain delay, which only gives me more time with my DIY crack web site and I have used the time well. I am no longer just a re-pinner, borrowing other people's ideas and peppering my boards with pictures of their realities to feed my insatiable dreams. I have PINNED! I thought I was addicted before, but noooooo. The game has been elevated to a new level with my first contribution to the cyber dream world. I posted a photo of my new wine barrel garden and something amazing happened. People re-pinned me! They like me, they really like me! My email box overflowed with notifications that my little photo was  being added to boards with titles like "My Dream Home" "Favorite Ideas" and "Things I Should Do". The high is better than any drug and I can't wait until my latest project is completed so I can pin again!!

I guess if you are going to have a wild hair there could be worse ones than the Pinterest Wild Hair. The house is looking great and the backyard is becoming the oasis I have always envisioned. There is only one problem, and unfortunately it is a pretty big one. Every time I pick up the computer, iPad or phone new ideas and photos magically appear further fueling my Pinterest Wild Hair. We might be in for a long roller coaster ride this time!

Notes to self and other random thoughts...

These are a few of life’s mysteries, facts and fictions that are clouding my mind lately.

·        Men can’t fold ANYTHING. I have watched my husband and I fold the same towel, using the same motions and one comes out neat and straight and the other one, not so much.

·        Musical instruments cost a FORTUNE. The clarinet we just “rented” for our daughter cost more than my first car!

·        Football is not for wimps. I know this one seems a no brainer, but you would be amazed at the kids on my son’s pee wee tackle football league. Seriously, if your kid cries over small bumps and trips he is not going to fair well when that 100 pound second grader with an attitude comes running at him with the intent of bodily harm.

·        Money disappears. ‘Nuff said.

·        Laundry appears from nowhere.

·        When you want a project done it will not seem like it will be that hard, meanwhile, to your spouse who is dragged into helping with said project will KNOW it is the hardest project you have ever devised.

·        Spouse will cave in and do any project when you threaten to hire someone to do it. (Deep down he knew all along it wasn’t going to be THAT hard).

·        Wanting to grow something in your garden is a noble and rewarding task, but it doesn’t change that fact that you not only have a black thumb but all your fingers and even toes are as black as coal.

·        Women can justify just about anything.

·        Really smart women can make it so they don’t need to justify it, but instead are just going along with and supporting someone else’s brilliant idea that they themselves aren’t sure where the idea came from!

·        There are not enough acceptable cocktail hours.

·        Toys that make noise should be outlawed. Even more so, the ones that do make noise that you give your child permission to take into the bathtub in hopes that it will cease that incessant chatter only to come back alive at precisely midnight and scare the living shit out of you, should include the phone number of the inventor so you can call them to scream bloody murder at them at midnight because if you are wide awake then by God, so should they!

·        There is never enough time.

·        Love makes the world go around and sometimes you just need to get off the ride for a while.

·        Family is the greatest joy and the root to all evil.

·        Money really does disappear…without a trace.

·        If you are calling me to sell something it would be in your best interest to have a live person that can actually respond in a timely manner when I say “hello” and not some computer animated douche bag that I can very easily hang up on without a miniscule amount of remorse.

·        If you are calling me to donate to your worthy cause be forewarned, guilt does not work on me because I was raised on guilt and am sufficiently immune.

·        Houses make the strangest noises when you are all alone.

·        If it doesn’t have fur it has no business being a pet.

·        Good books are worth every dime.

·        Good books borrowed from a friend means more money you can spend on the bottle of wine you can share.

·        Book clubs are women’s way of getting together, talking crap and drinking wine with really good friends. I REALLY NEED A BOOK CLUB!!

·        A clear head is a breeding ground for insane ideas.

·        I have the best insane ideas.