Butler Family

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Ok here it is the Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes. Attempt #1:

1. Yellow cake cupcakes. Just use your favorite yellow cake recipe or box cake works too. I normally add buttermilk instead of the water to a box cake mix. Makes it yummier. Is that a word? It is now. :) or I like the Better Homes and Garden yellow cake recipe too.

2. While your cupcakes are baking you can work on the filling. I tend to do things the easy way rather than the hard way. Makes sense to me, if it can be done easily why not do it that way. You will need:
1 small box of vanilla pudding mix (or french vanilla works too)
1-2 tsp of vanilla nut flavoring (plain vanilla works too but I like vanilla nut so that's what I used)
Milk (whatever amount it calls for on the pudding box)
Just follow the directions on the pudding box for making it and add the flavoring to the milk before pouring it over the mix. 1 tsp if you like a lighter flavor or 2 tsp if you want more, I'd go with 2 tsp but of course in my hurry to get these done I forgot it completely. Once it's mixed together cover with plastic wrap making sure you press it down on the top of the pudding so you don't get a film on the top and place in frig for an hour or so.
3. Now the best part, chocolate ganache. Yummo and so so easy!
8oz. heavy whipping cream
8oz. chocolate (chopped)
Heat cream on stove top until it is just starting to boil stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Don't let it get to a full boil! Put chocolate in a bowl and pour cream over it. Using a spoon or whisk or whatever you want to stir it until it's smooth. You'll want to do this step only when you are ready to use the ganache or it will harden.

4. Assembly:
What I did was put the pudding in a pastry bag stick the tip into the cupcake and squeezed. I found that not much of the pudding got in the cupcake or at least not enough for my liking but if you want to try it and it works for you let me know what I did wrong. :) So the next time I'll peel the wrappers off the cupcakes and cut them in half. Put a spoonful of the pudding on the bottom half and dip the top in the ganache then place it on top of the bottom half like a sandwich.

5. Last but not least don't for get to taste test it before you serve them. It's very important to do this at least with one or two of them so you don't serve something that isn't up to par. If you end up taste testing all of them and need to start over I understand. :)

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Any kind of chocolate cake works. I used a dark chocolate. For the ganache I used toll house chocolate chunks it was cheaper than getting the baker's chocolate. You'll probably want a glass of milk or cup of coffee to eat this. :D Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

1 devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (plus more for garnishing – I used 2 bags)
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line with wax paper and coat paper.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides after 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.
Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool cakes completely.
Place chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth.
Trim each cake layer so the tops are flat. Place one layer on a cooling rack and pour 1 cup frosting on top. Spread evenly with a spatula. Add second layer and pour remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Smooth out with spatula.
Allow frosting to set for a minute and gently press remaining chopped peanut butter cup pieces all over top and sides of cake. Place in refrigerator for about an hour to set. Remove and serve.

THE ROSE OF TRALEE

In honor of St. Patrick's Day here is a sweet little irish poem that is my new favorite.

THE ROSE OF TRALEE
The pale moon was rising above the green mountains,
The sun was declining beneath the blue sea,
When I stray'd with my love to the pure crystal fountain
That stands in the beautiful vale of Tralee.
She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
Yet 'twas not her beauty alone that won me,
Oh, no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever beaming
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.
The cool shades of evening their mantle were spreading,
And Mary, all smiling, was list'ning to me.
The moon through the valley her pale rays was shedding
When I won the heart of the Rose of Tralee.
Tho' lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
Yet 'twas not her beauty alone that won me,
Oh, no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever beaming
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.

By William Pembroke Mulchinock (1820?-1864)

And the story behind the poem:

William Pembroke Mulchinock composed this ballad. Living just outside of the village of Tralee, William fell in love with a girl who was a maid in one of the nearby houses. Since a romance with an Irish servant girl could hardly be tolerated by the Pembroke Mulchinocks, in no time at all William was sent to join a regiment in India.

And so the young man soldiered, his thoughts remaining on the girl he left behind. Three years passed before he returned to Tralee. As he came into the village, he saw a funeral procession passing down the street. It was the funeral of the girl he loved, who had died, it was said, of a broken heart. In the public park just outside of Tralee there is memorial to these ill-fated lovers. On the marble stone beneath a carved cross is this inscription: "To the memory of William Pembroke Mulchinock and the Rose of Tralee. She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer." 'Of Irish Ways' Mary Murray Delaney

Wow it's been awhile.

So what's new since last summer? hmmmmm. Well, my knee is almost better. It's closing in on one year since surgery and I can finally go down stairs properly. Granted I pretty much fall the last 3 inches of the step which I know doesn't sound like much but it can be pretty rough on my other knee. I'll keep at it and hopefully it will get strong enough to control the step all the way to the ground. In other news Sean and I have decided to quit drinking pop and to cut back on caffeine. I'm doing really well, today is day 27 without pop and I can count on one hand the number to times I've had caffeine this month. Sean is trying but it seems to be harder for him, but at least he has cut back a lot! We also joined a gym where we work out for at least an hour 5+ times a week. We really haven't seen much in the way of weight lose but it may be due to the fact that we are putting on muscle mass which as we all know weighs more than fat. Sean's arms are looking mighty sexy these days. ;) Well that's all for now...
Until the next time I get around to writing (ie 6 months from now)

6 Happy Years Together

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Frustration Abounds

I am so frustrated with my knee! Tomorrow will make 3 months post surgery and still it hurts, is swollen, and pops. And now the doctor is thinking he might have to do more surgery! agh! He's giving me one more month to get better then back in the OR I will go. Maybe that was to scare me into healing because I don't want to be better????? (heavy sigh) Today in physical therapy they tried this new wrap called a kinetic (sp?) wrap on my knee to hopefully help the swelling and the scare tissue go away. I'm not really sure how wrapping my leg will do that but hey at this point I guess I'll try anything.
It should be so simple if the popping would stop then the swelling would go away and if the swelling goes away then the strength will return. Maybe the problem is that the popping would stop if the knee was stronger... That would be a big problem. hmmm Well, I guess all I can do is keep going to PT and keep doing my exercise and trust that it will heal in God's time and not mine or my doctor's. But sometimes that is very hard to do.