Cupcake Thorn

My precarious relationship with cupcakes began when my son, John, was in Kindergarten.  It was his Christmas celebration where each parent signed-up to bring a food item to eat following the kids singing.  When John’s teacher showed me what was left on the sign-up sheet, I could have easily chosen chips, but my perfectionist mentality got the better of me and I chose cupcakes.  I left feeling confident that even though I rarely bake anything, this cupcake thing would turn out OK.  I cook a lot but buy most of our sweets because I tend to toast or burn cakes, cookies, muffins, and of course, cupcakes.   By the time I made it to my car, I had grand visions of beautifully decorated cupcakes that I would make with my son.  I wanted to show him that mama could make cupcakes too since he was always raving about making them with Grandma Annie.  John would be excited that everyone loved his mom’s cupcakes!

Well time got the better of me and I ended up buying a big expensive platter of beautifully decorated Christmas cupcakes from the grocery store.  I had already forgiven myself by the time I had gotten to the school and dropped them off.  Later when I showed up for the performance and celebration, I was still feeling OK about not making the cupcakes.  When everyone started to eat, I saw my cupcakes next to another batch which were obviously homemade – the Tupperware container gave that away.  Still, I wasn’t letting that bother me.  I told myself that I was still a good mother fulfilling my responsibility, taking time off work, clapping and taking pictures, smiling and being happy.

Then John’s teacher asked the parents to help pick up the food area and that the last of the cupcakes were to be divided amongst the kids.  When I went to the counter to begin this task, she came to see my progress then said, “Oh my!  Homemade cupcakes are so good.  They were absolutely delicious!”  My failure mom guilt trip started…it crept up my spine, spun around my heart, and hit my head like a brick.  I honestly don’t think she knew how her comment sounded.  I knew that letting this comment affect me so much is due to my perfectionist mother mentality…but the guilt trip took its toll and did nothing for my baking confidence.
Since then this “cupcake thorn” in my side continues.  My son found some Transformers cupcake baking cups, I have read 1 out of 3 novels with cupcake in the title, and I just bought a cookbook devoted to making cupcakes.  Why?

I believe that making cupcakes for me is like writing.  You can buy writing books and magazines, great notebooks and pens for writing, read good writers and worship others, but it still comes down to getting over yourself and overcoming your fear and JUST DOING IT; sit down and write…just suck-it-up and make the damn cupcakes!  Well, this cupcake thorn still lingers.  This past fall I found these great cupcake decorating ideas for Halloween and Christmas and I still did not make them.  For John’s 1^st grade Christmas party I signed up to bring chips…there were no leftovers.

CUPCAKE NOVELS
It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder (middle grades novel)
The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross (Women's Literature)
The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler (young adult novel)
Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes  by Jane O'Connor (Beg 1 Reader)

COOKBOOK MENTIONED
Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castelea (great find at Kohl’s)




















Song of Solomon 2:5
“Sustain me with cakes of raisins, refresh me with apples, For I am lovesick.” (NKJV)