i'd rather be baking

For the better part of the year, we’ve belonged to a community supported agriculture program in our area. It’s run by a local market that sources produce from multiple family farms in Utah and California, and we love it. Programs like this are a great opportunity to try produce you might not normally pick up (gai lan, anyone?), and everything is fresh, local, and organic.

We’re generally game to try whatever’s in the bag each week, but honestly, I really don’t like beets. We’ve received beets several times and each time I just sort of look at them sadly. They’re a lovely color and all, but really, I’m just not a fan.

This last time I was determined to make use of the beets, and turned to an idea that’s been brewing in my brain for awhile. At the bakery where I work, we use beets in our red velvet cupcakes to add moisture and (mostly) color, and I decided to try it. Because the sort of math involved in reducing our large-scale recipes into a more home-friendly version makes my  brain hurt, I turned to Epicurious.

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I may have a bit of a tendency to go overboard on some things. You know, sometimes. For instance, a recipe for peach bourbon cupcakes seems indulgent enough, yes? The answer is yes. But I just couldn’t leave well enough alone. Lily-gilder, party of one.

It all started innocently enough. The recipe called for almond meal, and I didn’t have any almonds on hand nor the desire to buy any. I knew that any sort of dry flour wouldn’t be quite an appropriate substitution, as it would lack the fat content of almonds. That would be okay except that it would require further substitution in order to ensure moist cupcakes, and I just didn’t want to go there.

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Ryan has the privilege of working with the super-talented Valerie Jar, a designer/illustrator. Despite the fact that it’s now June, once I saw her fabulous calendars I had to have one. I promised to bake her anything she’d like.

When Val requested lemon cupcakes, I immediately thought of this recipe from Take a Megabite. I’d been thinking of trying it with oranges for myself, and I probably still will. But for now, lemons.

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I may or may not have mentioned that I work at a small cupcake shop. It’s fun but, unfortunately, I don’t get to spend as much time decorating as I’d like. There are too many other things to do!

The problem here is that if practice makes perfect, then not enough practice makes, well, less than perfect. So earlier this week I brought home some frosting to practice.

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In the midst of the cold and snow that was last week, I found myself dreaming of the South. Yes, the South. If you know me at all, you’ll know that this is a little odd.

Yes, I spent a good chunk of my formative years in Arkansas, and yes, my husband spent his entire life there (until recently). I love my friends, family, and the Ozarks as much as the next girl, but really, the South isn’t my favorite. I like the ocean. And winter, generally. You can see how this would be a problem.

But here’s the newsflash: it’s warm in the South. It doesn’t snow there in May. People call you “honey” and “dear” and make ridiculously good food. And what do I think of when I think of all of these things? The fantastic Pioneer Woman.

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