The Good and the Bad

I will start out with the bad news first. Don't you just hate it when you hose yourself? You think for a long time, you spend hours making plans only to have it not work out in the end, and worst of all, you have no one to blame but yourself! That is what happened to me. At work everyone seems to want spring break off. Because of this, you have to request it way far in advance and then it goes to a committee where they decide if you get it off or not. Supposedly, everyone takes turns. I worked it last year and then requested it off this year. I was told that my vacation was approved several months ago and have been making spring break plans ever since. Well, the March schedule was just posted and I found that I was scheduled for spring break! Hey, what happened? So I looked back in my emails where I requested spring break off in the first place. Turns out I was looking at last year's calendar and so requested the dates for last year's spring break instead of this year's spring break and they are not the same. Arrrrg! Now I am hosed in 2 ways. First, I have days off that the kids don't also have off. Second, now I won't get spring break off for next year. Double Arrrg!

Now for the medium news. I cannot decide if this is good news or bad news. After grousing and complaining about the young women's program and the fact that Miriya, my only girl, only has 2 years left in the program and I have never been called to serve with her, I finally was called to be camp director. Not the assistant director but the actual, grand poobah director. Turns out our camp is actually planned and put on by the stake so I don't really have any authority over anything. But they also asked me to plan a high adventure as well. That is strictly for our girls and I am totally in charge of this thing. I am usually the helper bee, never the queen, so I am a little worried about it all. But then, I love to plan trips and the number of girls that will be going is just slighty more than my own family and I plan those trips without any trouble. I am actually very excited about the whole thing, so is Miriya.

Finally,the good news. I made the most yummy, delicious cupcakes ever. I was planning on taking them to my Primary class but the rest of my family threatened to leave me at church if I did so. Rather than risk chit chatting in the halls of church forever, I wisely decided to leave them at home. I'll have to make extras for next week. Here is the recipe and you can make a little bit of heaven for yourselves.

Fudge Cupcakes
4sq unsweetened chocolate (1 oz each)
1/4c white sugar
1/2 c raspberry or strawberry syrup (for pancakes)
1 2/3c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
1/3c milk

Line 18 muffin cups with cupcake liners. If you only have a 12 muffing cup pan use an 8x8 cake pan for the extra batter. Butter and flour the cake pan if using. Preheat oven to 350.

Microwave chocolate, berry syrup and 1/4c sugar on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave again for another minute. At this point, the chocolate will be almost melted. Stir the mixture until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In another bowl, beat together butter and 1 1/2 c sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one by one until incorporated. Mix in the dry ingredients and milk until smooth. When the chocolate mixture is cool enough that you do not have to move your hand away when you test the temperature it is cool enough to add to the batter.

Fill each cupcake cup 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350.

Fudge Frosting
2c chocolate chips (one 12oz pkg)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

Melt chocolate chips over double boiler. You can use a regular pan but be sure to mix it constantly so you don't scorch the chocolate. When it is smooth add the milk. Keep mixing over medium heat until it is glossy and no longer lumpy. You can frost right away but if you let it sit for 5-10 minutes it will hold its shape better.