I am now a student and I am now having to decide how to use my time more wisely. When it comes to me though, time and wise don’t go in the same sentence. I am never late though. In fact, some friends of mine would say I am sometimes too early. However when I need to actually use my time to do something, I find a million other things that sound more interesting.

Like just now. I really need to be writing a paper. Like really bad, it’s due tomorrow morning. But how does my professor expect me to type a paper, on a computer, when I can use that computer to check my blog. And how can they expect me to check my blog and see I have a first time commenter and not go look at that person’s blog. Then before you know it, 20 minutes has passed and I am hungry, have bookmarked three new recipes, and the essay still only has my name written on top.

It’s not like I haven’t been a student before. Now that I think about it, when I was in culinary school I was also doing pastries at a restaurant, working close to 60 hours a week sometimes. Easy without a blog! My blog is my new 60 hour a week job. Definitely not 60 hours working on posts, but if I logged my twitter and facebook hours (hey, are you following me on those? you should be!) well… the hours may even be higher.

But I have to blog, so no worries. I really enjoy it, and nothing warms my heart more than someone telling me about the time they cooked one of my recipes. I always dislike reading when bloggers say things like ‘I have not been wanting to post lately’ because it brings me down. If you are coming my way, the last thing I want you to be is down. I want you to be happy. And nothing makes me happier than a cupcake. A really moist cupcake with sweet frosting. A really moist vanilla cupcake with sweet chocolate frosting.

Vanilla Cupcake
Recipe from King Arthur Flour
yield: 24 cupcakes

2 cups Sugar
3 1/2 cups AP Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup Milk
3 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs

preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare cupcake liners

1. In a large mixing bowl whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture looks sandy.
3. Combine the milk and vanilla and add, all at once. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.Repeat this procedure with the second egg. Continue adding the eggs, scraping after each addition, until all 4 are added.
4. With the mixer running at low speed, add 1 egg. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.
5. Repeat this procedure with the second egg. Continue adding the eggs, scraping after each addition, until all 4 are added. After the last egg is added, scrape the bowl once more, then beat at medium-high speed for 30 more seconds.
6. Scoop by heaping 1/4-cupfuls into the prepared muffin tins. Bake 23 – 25 minutes.

Classic Chocolate Frosting

Recipe from Hersheys.com
yields: 2 cups frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter, room temperature
2/3 cup Hersheys Cocoa
3 cups Powdered Sugar
1/3 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1. Melt butter. Stir in cocoa.
2. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk if needed. Stir in vanilla.

*Also, I  usually post completely original recipes. This week has been so busy that I decided to simply  follow two recipes that I usually wouldn’t have, and had amazing results!

Best frosting ever. Best cupcake ever. Best week ever.