the kimistry of cupcakes

After my fabulous encounter with Molly's Cookie Monster cupcake in Chicago, I search the internet trying to find a good recipe for cupcakes with cookie dough filling. This version I tried out this week. Simply make a typical cupcake and drop some frozen cookie dough on top of each cupcake before baking. It was very easy, although may of the cupcakes drooped in the middle. It did appear that the longer you baked them, the less they drooped, but since I hate dry cake, I error on the side of underbaked.

The end result was still delicious. The droopiness could be covered up with icing, and wah-lah yummy cookie dough cupcake. However, still not as good as Molly's. One of the main flaws was that the cookie dough sunk to the bottom of the cupcake. Still doughy, but not exactly the filling like at Molly's. I'm still searching for a better way to acheive the cookie dough filling, and I've got some ideas that I'm going to try next time.

Several people got to try out this first version, and I think people like them. Nick and I had a great dinner date with Silvy. Her husband, James, whipped up some tasty tacos and we had a great time visiting with them! I do have to say nights like tonight make me sad that the move to Dallas is coming up so quickly! April is going to be packed for us with finishing up our classes and getting ready to graduate in early May.

Here's a couple more pictures from our trip to Chicago: Me in front of Cloud Gate, and Nick and I out experience the city's nightlife (one of my favorite pictures of us in a long time!)

Chicago!

Meet the best cupcake i've EVER eaten. The Cookie Monster at Molly's Cupcakes in Chicago. I can't even explain how truly delicious this was...but i'll attempt. It was a moist vanilla cupcake with just a few chocolate chips filled with gooey chocolate chip cookie dough topped with a light buttercream frosting more chocolate chips and a mini cookie. OH MY GOODNESS. Sooo good.

I've committed myself to replicating its goodness.

Otherwise Chicago was a really fun trip. We arrived friday on Amtrak. I've never traveled by train before and it was a lot of fun. Tons of space for each seat with an awesome leg rest and electrical sockets. It takes about as long as driving (minus the traffic) but you can do other things like sleep or work on your thesis.


Nick's brother Cal showed us a great time around the city on Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday. We tasted Spanish tapas, great chinese food, smoothies with tapioca balls (a lot better than it sounds...and I don't even like tapioca pudding), great homemade pork tenderloin.

Hopefully we'll be back up here again soon!

thesis...you never end

Did I say 40 or 50 more pages to go? I've got those done, but its still not done yet! I just want it to end already! Unforunately I've got to finish talking a few things before I can really wrap this thing up....

may graduation...may graduation....

whirlwind

Life is moving so fast! Where did this year go? Nick and I are both busy trying to finish up our masters here so we can move to Dallas and start the next "stage" of our life. I'll be starting my career (eek!) and Nick's looking to start his counseling PhD.

I'm really looking forward to getting off my graduate research pay and on to a salary with all the great benefits...like health care! My job offer with TI still stands, so I'm hoping it makes it until July. With the current economic condition, I know that I'm totally blessed to still have that job offer out there when so many people are losing their own.

Am I going to be able to talk to my kids about what it was like in the Great Depression 2? I really hope not, but the economic conditions in the country look bad. really bad. And our Roth IRA, interest on our money market, and my TI stocks are VERY representative of that. Thankfully we are still young with many working years ahead of us...I feel terrible for those who were hoping to retire in the next 5 years.

What's that? Oh its my thesis calling me back....30 pages down and around another 40-50 to go!

what's on Kim's tv?

Right now I'm addicted to several shows. Maybe addiction is taking a tad bit too far, but let's just say I thoroughly enjoy them. Since Nick and I have cable, I keep up to date with them online...thank goodness for the tv internet revolution! But let's get on to the good stuff:


1. 24















Jack Bauer is the MAN. Every episode is 1 hour in this life of counter terrorist agent. Season after season this show is liking watching full length action movie every episode. Its thrilling, its intense, and it has some crazy plot twists. But trust me, once you start watching you can't stop...I've heard of several people who have blown through all the seasons in just a few days. Perfect for action lovers! I do recommend starting at season 1 and working your way up...there are several story lines that build up through the seasons, and its definitely worth it to know them!

2. Dexter



















I'm careful who I tell that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show. For those of you not familiar with it, yes, it is about a serial killer named Dexter Morgan who works as a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Police Department. When I first heard about the show, I thought to myself, "what kind of people watch this?" but when CBS picked it up during the writer's strike I got interested...and addicted to it. Although Dexter act like the typical fun loving, caring, nice guy to the majority of the people on the show, he speaks to the audience as the narrator in his "true" voice--one that doesn't understand human emotion and interaction.

Dexter does only kill people who "deserve" it (although this still doesn't make it right); he tracks down criminals that he can prove committed their horrible crimes but have some how escaped the law by flaws or mistakes in the justice system. Each season (they've completed 3) takes a different view about why Dexter is the way he is and deals with the complex issues of your past, addiction, relationships, and justice. Its not very bloody at all (which surprised me) but does have nudity and quite a bit of cursing, after all it is Showtime! I would recommend it for people who love complex characters and little bit of suspense and surprises!


3. Heros



















This show is a winner. I love the story line about normal people discovering they have extraordinary abilities. There's good versus bad both corrupt and just plain evil. But every character is interesting and has multiple layers. This is one of those shows that you would do best from watching it from the beginning. Its another show for action lovers, but it can go off on plot tangents that are seemingly not important although they do a good job of bring it back in to the main story line. Season 1 starts off a little slow, but it picks up and the rest of the season(s) are thrilling.


4. Lost



















I have a love/hate relationship with Lost. I really just want the show to end so that all the loose ends are tied up and I see what the heck is going on, but at the same time I love watching every week. So far this season, the episodes have been great revealing a little bit more about what the heck is going on at that crazy island. I have told several people that I wouldn't be watching the show unless I had started watching it from day 1, but now I've just got to see how it ends. Although I really enjoy this show, I can't really recommend you to get started because you would be falling down the rabit hole with no end in sight.

5. Fringe



















Another show by the Lost producers, but I like this one much better. Its PERFECT for all those X-file fans out there! Each episode wraps up fairly nicely, but an underlying mystery is carried from show to show. The show follows an FBI agent who is asked to become a member of a team investigating events referred to as the "Pattern" this events always involve fringe science (essentially impossible things made possible). Its a twist on the typical crime show, and the paranormal. Also for all those Dawson Creek lovers...Pacey's on it!

finally an update

I know I know, its been way too long. I'd expand on what's been keeping me from updating but most of that would just include a long of engineering mumbo jumbo which would put you to sleep!

Life's crazy busy as always. There was a day a couple years ago when I figured out that life was always going to be crazy. No more summers between school years where all you are concerned about is going to swim in the neighborhood pool. When I have this realization, I was devastated..."WTF! I'm always going to be the busy?!?" But I'm come to love my busy weeks when Monday to Friday fly by and before you know it the month is over. Although its great to have those lazy days when you don't leave the house for a whole weekend.

This weekend will definitely not be one of those. Insert more engineering blah blah blah.

Phelps is still not toilet trained. He's working on it, but definitely hit a plateau. We are still trying to work on that transition over to water. Hopefully it will come soon. He's being a stinker about it. Here's a little peek:

completely and totally unmotivated

me = ready for a really long break with no resemblance of work

that break is just a few days away, so I'm trying (and not very well) to push through and get some good work in before friday which is officially break time. So right now I'm currently in the lab "working", waiting for my computer to catch up and do something.

what I really want to do is sit on the couch, eat cookies and watch Emma. And I'm totally going to do that, but it can't come soon enough!