Gah! I haven't been able to blog as much because my 1-month vacation/interview period was officially over Sunday. And now, I'm back in the classroom. To develop my critical thinking, communication skills and learn about...epidemiology *dies* God, I hate statistics. Anyhoo, I've been grumpy as hell every morning for the last few days because I have to take the bus again. Every morning it's late. And every morning, there's always a million people in the bus. And when it's time to go back home, it's the same friggin' thing again. The bus is late and people are shoving their arms/legs/backpacks/purses/babies into your face. And then they fall on you because they think they can defy kinetic principles and not hold on to the pole. Unless you're Houdini and can levitate, put down your Iphone and hold on to the goddamn pole! Arg, I HATE buses! *ok, rant over*
On happier note, my sister came for a sleepover last weekend. :) While I love having her over, feeding her is a pain in the butt. First off, she is allergic to milk and milk products. So anything with cream, cheese, chocolate and the likes is a no-no. And to make matters worse, she is without doubt the pickier eater in the world! I can count the things she likes on my fingers. So imagine my despair at the prospect of cooking for her for two whole days. I don't want to bring her to the restaurant because I'm stubborn and refuse to give in to her fussiness. :)
Well, like any teenager, she loves junk food and fried food. So I thought of making chicken burgers with homemade fries. And to complete the already high-fat/calorie supper, we both decided to make valentine's day themed cupcakes! Who can say no to cupcakes?! (Actually, my thighs screamed "NOOO!", but my tummy won the battle...like always).
For me and the boyfriend who's getting fatter every day: Chicken burger with mayo, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce with a side of baked sweet potatoes fries.
For my sister: Same minus the cheese and tomatoes with a side of homemade fries. (Not pictured because she didn't want to stop eating for me to take a picture).
The burger came out great! The chicken was moist and tender. It was so easy to make, it's an embarrassment. Here's what you need to do: Pound a chicken breast until it is about 1/2" thick. Dip it in a beaten egg and then coat it with breadcrumbs. Warm oil over medium-high heat and fry the chicken until it's golden. Make sure it's cooked by cutting into chicken. Ta-da, done! You can season your breadcrumbs however you like, with parmesan, dried herbs, garlic or onion powder. I used Pastello italian seasoned breadcrumbs and added dried oregano, basil and garlic powder.
The sweet potato fries, however, were a complete flop. They were soggy and limp. And looked oh-so-sad. I didn't even have the heart to take a picture of them. My sister's fries were really crispy though. I think I'll fry the sweet potatoes next time.
This is actually the first time that I take the time to decorate cupcakes. This must be blasphemy for all the cupcakes fanatics out there lol. I usually just put frosting on the cupcakes and well, eat it. It's simple and the quickest way to my stomach. But after today, I think I'll always decorate them from now on. It's so much fun and cute to look at. And it's fun to eat them too! The cupcake and frosting tasted great together.
Dark chocolate cupcakes
Makes 18 cupcakes
Ingredients
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
White frosting
For 18 cupcakes
Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons warm water
1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
Directions
In a large bowl, combine shortening, salt, vanilla, water and confectioners' sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
No milk products in the frosting! There was some butter in the cupcakes, but it seems my sister is only allergic to uncooked butter...weird. I love love love the piggy cupcake that my sister made! It's so cute and it matches my blog hehe.
I had so much fun cooking with my sister. The funny thing is, if you take a look at us individually, we're pretty normal and we're even sometimes labeled as "serious" girls, but when we're together, we become out-of-control cray-zee! We laugh, we dance and we sing like nobody's business. And that's why I love my sister to pieces. <3
