Should my feelings be hurt? You be the judge:
Let it be known that I'm a scratch-baker. Why? Well, because I'm also a control freak, especially when it comes to ingredients in the foods I consume. If it doesn't have healthful, nutritional value, I'm inclined to avoid it. The problem is, I want my family to avoid the unhealthy, too. My too-firm approach can sometimes backfire.
In yet another connection to my wonderful, child-rearing past, I show here a favorite photo-of-a-photo of my beautiful sons, sharing an ice cream soda at Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco. We had somewhat eaten our way through the Pier; thus, the sharing. That was an incredible vacation; not to mention that we all became fans of Ghiradelli. I sought their chocolate chips and baked many a cookie, with the Big G as a standard ingredient.
Now, back to the present. I baked cupcakes for Aubrey's party. My intent was to do so from scratch, till I heard the numbers. So, thought I, I'd use mixes and "doctor them up" to somewhat approach my standards.... you know, yogurt in place of oil, egg whites without as many yolks, no extra sugar in the icing... blah, blah, blah. That thought lasted until Joe and I were browsing through Sam's Club one day. There on an end display, I spotted the product below. Talk about Pennies From Heaven, even for somewhat of a "purist".
Everything from foil cups to chips in the cake mix was included in the box. I breezed through the baking of dozens of cupcakes in no time at all. Okay, okay; I worked a little on the presentation.
Party day arrived; the Ghiradellis got rave reviews. My psyche can take this; but the biggest rave came from Joe. He just can't stop telling me how delicious the cupcakes were. All that sugar never tasted so good; all that chocolate was never smoother. Poor Baby; was he suffering from sweetness deprivation? So, as I said, you be the judge. Not to worry, though... Joe can stay; I'm still finding sunshine and flowers.
