Some Days it Seems as if the World Hates Me

Do you ever have one of those days where it feels like the world is conspiring against you?  The days where every time you turn around there is one more thing weighing you down?

I'm having one of those days today.  In addition to the headache I woke up with (the same headache that I've had for the last week and a half), the eye swollen shut (allergies) and my plugged up ear drum (don't ask me why), I walk into the living room to find this:

Yes, some naughty girls found a paper towel in the trash can that they thought was pretty interesting.  I guess it could have been worse.  Oh wait, it was.......

This would be the only pair of high heeled black sandals that I currently own.  This was going to be the last summer they were going to get me through but I did still need them for the next few weeks.  Mama wasn't very happy with those chewing pups.  Of course Mike's response was "I guess you should put your shoes away".  Really!?!  Having only one pair of work sandals would be the down side to living a simplified life

Then of course there are the kids who don't seem to know how to put a clean pot away.  In the cabinet.  Directly below the pot.  Are you kidding me?!?

The next straw would be when I go out to drive Belle to work and I find that I'm completely blocked in.  Ugh!  I really hate playing musical cars.

The smart thing at this point would seem to go to back to bed and pull the covers over my head.  Oh yeah, that won't work because it's sheet washing day and I thought I'd start the day out right by stripping the bed as soon as I got out of it.

That will teach me to be on the ball.

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcake

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcake is one of our family favorites.  I decided to try a cupcake version that would be a little easier to serve.  My son gave this recipe a thumbs up (his mouth was full of cake at the time so that's pretty much all he could manage).

To keep it simple I used a boxed yellow cake mix. Of course, your favorite from scratch recipe would work just as well.

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcake

• 1 yellow cake mix (prepared to directions)
• or your favorite from scratch cupcake base recipe
• 1 large can crushed pineapple (drained - set aside juice)
• 3/4 stick of butter
• 1 cup brown sugar

In a saucepan over low heat melt the butter and brown sugar. Add the drained pineapple and let caramelize (about 10 - 15 minutes) stirring frequently so that it doesn't burn.

Prepare the batter and fill cupcake tins 1/2 full (if you aren't using liners be sure and thoroughly grease the muffin pan). Be sure to leave some of the batter as you will want to go and top off each muffin later. Drain excess syrup from the caramelized pineapple and add a small teaspoon full to each muffin. "Top off" the cupcakes with the remaining batter leaving enough room for the cupcakes to rise.

Bake according to the cupcake recipe you are using.

Frosting 

I'm going to give you two frosting options.  The picture above is option one but personally I prefer option two.

Option 1- Regular Frosting

1 stick butter
3 1/2 cups powered sugar
Pineapple juice drained from crushed pineapple
2 Tablespoons crushed pineapple (optional)

Soften the butter, add to your mixing bowl and cream. Gradually add in powered sugar until well blended. At this point add pineapple juice to get the frosting to the desired consistency. Fold in the crushed pineapple.

To frost the cupcakes put frosting in zip top sandwich bag.  Cut corner off and pipe in a circular motion over the top of the cupcake

Option 2 - Homemade Whipped Topping

1 pint heavy cream

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Combine cream, sugar and vanilla with mixer until stiff.  You will want to scrape the bowl down to make sure everything is well combined.

If you go this route just make sure that you aren't frosting until the cupcakes are ready to be eaten.  The whipped topping will not keep well on top of the cupcakes

Enjoy!

This recipe has been featured at:

Twinkle in the Eye
House of Hepworths

Be sure and check out these sites for other great ideas.

You might also like:

How to Make Coaster Tiles
Applesauce Cupcake with Brown Sugar Frosting
Breakfast Bowls

Weekly Menu

Guess how I started my morning?  I took a picture to give you an idea.  Yep, I was a muffin bakin' mama this morning.  Mike has some training and asked me to make a bunch of muffins for the team to eat.  When he first asked me I thought "Oh good, I can try out a bunch of new recipes for my blog" quickly followed by the second thought of "Are you crazy!  Use box mixes and just get the job done!".  With the exception of my blueberry muffin, everything is from a mix.  I ended up making Cranberry Orange, Banana Nut, Chocolate Chip and of course Blueberry.  They look beautiful - let's hope they taste great too.

Since Mike isn't going to be home for dinner this evening the kids (namely Belle) and I decided to pull out a winter dish and make Belle's favorite chicken and stuffing dish.  We certainly are shaking things up this week at the WWIN household, aren't we?

If I feel up to it I may try out a new cupcake I've been wanting to make.  Of course, after all the muffin baking I did this morning I don't know that I can stomach looking at another muffin tin right now :)  Here is my cupcake from last week.  This is a new recipe so be sure and check it out.

Applesauce Cupcake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Here's our menu for the week.

• Chicken and Stuffing casserole, glazed carrots, strawberry salad, bread, cookies or cupcakes for dessert
• Grilled pizza, chips
• Brats (I bought some mushroom and Swiss stuff brats this week for a little variety), potatoes, corn on the cob, salad
• Grilled chicken, tomato salad, mashed potatoes, salad, Texas toast
• Dinner out
• Fend for yourself x2

I tried something new this week.  I video taped a tutorial for some coasters which I'm giving away.  To enter to win the coasters and view the tutorial click here

I'll be linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie

You might also like:

The Art of Raising Children

Cabela's - An Inexpensive Way to Spend and Afternoon

Redecorating the Living Room

Tile Coaster Tutorial

A while back I was introduced to these tile coasters during a party.  Everyone at the party had the opportunity to make one.  I chose the word "SIMPLIFY" as that was a goal of mine at that time.  I'm still using it but haven't quite accomplished that goal!  These were so easy that I've been meaning to make a whole set but have never gotten around to it - until now.

I decided to try something a little different.  In addition to the step by step directions below I've also done my first vlog posting!  The video below will show you step by step directions to make the coasters.  A special thank-you to my son Michael who helped with this "production" and listened to his mother go through a few test runs before declaring my very first vlog to be "good enough".  Do you like the video tutorial?  I'd appreciate feedback as I look to evolve my blog.




Instructions for Tile Coasters

The coaster is made out of 4" floor/wall tiles with words rubbed or painted on.  4" tiles can be picked up at any home improvement store with a flooring section.  The smoother the tile the easier the words will transfer.  When I was shopping for tiles I came across these beautiful tumbled travertine tiles.  What I like about them is their imperfection.  However, the imperfection of the tiles also translates into imperfection when transferring the words.

Here are the items you will need:  4" square tiles, felt backing, rub on words, scissors, blunt edge object to help transfer.  I used a pan scraper but you could use a Popsicle stick or other object as long as it's not sharp.

With a damp washcloth, wipe the front and back of each tile.  On the back of each, in each corner apply a felt pad.  In this example I used a tile with a finished back.  If your tile has an unfinished back I would recommend cutting out a piece of felt (just a tad bit smaller than the tile itstelf) and glue it to the back so that the back of the tile has a finished look as well as not scratching the surface.

Decide which words you want and cut out being careful to leave the protective back on.  Decide which word you want on each tile and the approximate position.  Natural stone tiles (such as these) may have different colors running through them.  You will want to make sure that each set of coasters is similar in color

Peel the protect back off (be careful not to scrape the words) and position where you want them.  Because these tiles are "imperfect", I tried to maneuver my words where there weren't a lot of holes so they may not be perfectly centered.  Rub across the words fairly firmly.  When you believe that you have rubbed hard enough GENTLY start to peel away the film.  I've found that what works best is to keep your utensil on the film as you are lifting it.  If some of the word hasn't transferred it's then easy for me to put the film back down and rub some more until the word is transferred appropriately.  If you want you could use a small piece of tape to help hold down transfer paper.

If you want, at this point you could seal with a paint sealant.

Congratulations to Tammy, the winner of the coaster giveaway.  I've contacted you via e-mail for shipping details.

Are you ready for the Giveaway?

Beige coasters with blue friendship quotes

Beige coasters with pink and brown friendship quotes

Cream tumbled travertine tile with black print

One reader will win their choice of one set of coasters from the three options above.  There are five opportunities to enter:

1.  Leave a comment
2.  Follow me on Twitter
3.  "Like" me on Facebook
4.
5.  Receive Wonder Woman I'm Not via e-mail (RSS feeder is on the right hand side of this post)

One winner will be picked at random and notified via e-mail.

Love these coasters but don't have the time or feel like your handy?  Check out the link above to my Etsy store.

The Art of Raising Children

Guest Post by very.co.uk

If there’s one subject guaranteed to get most people’s goat it’s got to be the thorny talking point that is parenthood. Of course, you can moan about your children to your heart’s content, but woe betide anyone else who deigns to criticise or merely pass comment on your child-rearing conundrums.

You may well be unleashing a torrent of trivia about your tiny tot and divulging every detail of a current concern but that doesn't mean you actually want anyone else’s input let alone their advice. A comment from a well-meaning family member or friend who tries to impart the benefit of their wisdom is likely to be met with narrowed eyes and flared nostrils.

It’s often advisable to remember not to offer your advice to parents when they are complaining about their little ones. Just act as a receptacle for the moaning and mollycoddling and try not to look too distant or disinterested. Imagine how those long-suffering health professionals must feel being on the receiving end of a scorned parent, unhappy with some unwanted advice.

Unfortunately, a criticism of your child does feel like a criticism of you and very often a seemingly throwaway remark can feel like it has a sting in the tail. A thinly veiled criticism can easily be disguised as an observation. Whether your mother-in-law feels the need to divulge her disagreement with you on some aspect of your child-rearing choices, or an acquaintance can’t help but congratulate herself on her own motherly accomplishments, then the casual observation somehow feels like an insult. If you question the intention behind the comment, then the observer can feign mock horror at your absurd sensitivity.

After all, whether we intend it or otherwise, our children are an extension of us until they are old enough to state their own independence – a day many of us secretly dread. If a father chooses to wear something in a Fred Perry pastel shade, then you can almost guarantee that the son will be seen sporting a gothic get-up. You spend your life defending your child-rearing choices from the critical gaze of onlookers, only to end up on the receiving end of daily criticism from the very children who you defended – a perfect example of Catch 22!


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Any links contained within this post are not my affiliate links

Applesauce Cupcake with Brown Sugar Frosting

 I originally found this recipe on Better Homes and Gardens.  This was the dessert I chose to serve last Friday during my get together.  They were a slightly dry cupcake so next time I make them I'll probably add a little more applesauce or maybe even a couple drops of apple juice.  My applesauce was homemade so it may be that it didn't have as much liquid in it as a traditional store bought applesauce.

The original recipe didn't call for the glazed walnuts but I thought they were a nice addition to the cupcake.  I've also marked the nutmeg and cloves as optional since my personal opinion was they detracted a little from the cupcake.  If you love nutmeg and cloves leave them in, since I'm not a huge fan I think it would taste better without them.

After I frosted the cupcakes I added a dried, cinnamon apple chip to the top.  Any brand will do but my favorite is Seneca Crispy Apple Chips.  If you haven't tried them yet you're missing out!

Applesauce Cupcake

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening 
• 1-1/3 cups applesauce (I would recommend chunky so you get bits of apple)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking power
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
• 3/4 cup raisins (optional)
• Glazed walnuts (optional)

Brown Sugar Frosting

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 cups sifted powered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Milk (optional)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Line eighteen 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat granulated sugar and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Beat in applesauce. (Mixture will appear curdled.) In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves. Beat into applesauce mixture. Stir in raisins and walnuts.
  3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.* Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire rack.
  4. For frosting, in a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar, the 1 tablespoon milk, and the vanilla. If necessary, stir in enough additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make spreading consistency (if frosting thickens, stir in additional milk).
  
  Note:  Sifting the powered sugar will make the frosting smoother.  I didn't sift the sugar but I did beat the frosting extra well.
  
  Frost cupcakes. Makes 18 cupcakes.
  
  
  Test Kitchen Tip: If all of the cupcakes do not fit in the oven at one time, refrigerate the remaining cupcakes while the first ones bake.

  nutrition facts
  
  

  • Servings Per Recipe 18 cupcakes
  • Calories253
  • Total Fat (g)8
  • Saturated Fat (g)3,
  • Cholesterol (mg)10,
  • Sodium (mg)109,
  • Carbohydrate (g)46,
  • Fiber (g)1,
  • Protein (g)2,
  • Vitamin A (DV%)0,
  • Vitamin C (DV%)0,
  • Calcium (DV%)0,
  • Iron (DV%)0,
  • Other Carbohydrates (d.e.)3,
  • Fat (d.e.)1.5,
  • Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Weekly Menu

I don't always enjoy meal planning.  While I definitely see the value in having a menu,  the thought of having to actually create one taxes my brain sometimes.  Of course not having a plan taxes my brain when I'm standing in front of the refrigerator contemplating what to serve for dinner.  I also find my lack of creativity a little disturbing.  There are so many different foods out there to cook and I seem to resort to the same items! Maybe one of these days I've venture out of my comfort zone but it certainly isn't going to be this week.

This is a fairly quite week but I do have at least one meeting.  I'll plan on that being our fend for yourself night.  Otherwise it's going to pretty much be more of the same old thing.

Brats, salad, corn on the cob, strawberry shortcake
Grilled chicken, strawberry salad, potatoes, Texas toast, cranberry relish
Hamburgers, applesauce, tomatoes
Pizza
Fend for yourself x2
Dinner out

Of course, it helps if you're serving brats to have those little things called brat buns!  I sent Michael out to buy the corn but forgot to ask him to buy buns.  I like to buy my buns the day that we use them 1) so their fresh 2) I don't like waste.  The poor kids needed to eat them without buns.

That's what we're eating this week.  What's on your menu?

I'll be linking this up at I'm an Organizing Junkie