mandatory sprinkles

I did it. I bought all that random stuff on Amazon, and I made this cake:

It tasted as good as it looks, which was a good thing because it was kind of a pain to make. But not so much of a pain that I didn't try doing a chocolate/caramel spin on it for Aaron's birthday this month!

I'm 27 years old now, and that's starting to sound a little bit old to me. I'm not in my early twenties anymore–this is pretty solidly in the mid- to late-twenties now. Or at least 27 is starting to creep up on the age when I thought I would have things mostly figured out, like skin care, maybe having a signature perfume scent, or at least knowing how to fold a fitted sheet. You know, all the important things in life. 

[An aside: how come only women have to worry about wearing makeup to disguise/even out their complexion and men don't?? Or worry about applying non-wrinkle serum? Or eye cream? What is with that? Also, WHAT IS EYE CREAM? I legitimately don't know what its purpose is.] 

At this point in my life, I'm mostly okay with calling people I don't know on the phone, eating fish, disagreeing with people out loud and not just in my head in Sunday School, sending professional emails, and driving on the freeway.

I still don't like shellfish, but I guess that's what the next 60 years of my life are for. That, and learning about eye cream. And making more cake. Can't go wrong with a life full of cake, now can you? 

more tall candles

Sorry the last post was kind of a bummer. I am really grateful for everyone's texts/cards/facebook messages/calls, etc., and I didn't mean to minimize that! I love hearing from everyone on my birthday. And I still had the birthday cards displayed on my bookcase until last night, when I replaced them with Aaron's birthday cards because he turned 27 yesterday!

Aaron made his own birthday cake and frosting this year. It was the same cake and frosting for my birthday that we just can't get enough of (recipe here, we subbed water for coffee and it is still insanely chocolatey goodness). We also ordered Chinese takeout, watched a bunch of episodes of "Chuck", and Aaron worked on his puzzle. You can count on us for a wild night.

With spring weather finally FINALLY here, a quick trip to Utah planned for my grandpa's wedding, and dissertation committee meetings (me) and board exams (Aaron) out of the way, life is looking up. This winter was really hard, and though not a ton has fundamentally changed, I feel better about things. Amazing what 60 degree weather can do for you.

Enjoy your weekend!

25

A month ago tomorrow I turned 25 years old. Aaron made me a homemade dinner of tortellini (filled with homemade ricotta) and a homemade chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, which I insisted on decorating (tall candles! flaky gray salt rim!). 

My birthday was right in the middle of a really not fun grad school time at the end of a really long horrible winter, so minus Aaron's awesome dinner celebrations, it kind of sucked. The good thing about birthdays, though, is that I can try again next year. Surprise laser tag dance party, I'm making it happen.

aaron is no longer on anyone's insurance but his own

It was Aaron's birthday last week. We made a pork wellington and chocolate cake with mint frosting to celebrate. Also, 20 balloons (and the birthday sign I made last year):

sorry, really blurry!

Do you like his black socks? He has to wear a shirt and tie every day when he's seeing patients, and then he doesn't change his socks when he comes home and changes into normal clothes.

sorry, weird cropping?

Aaron made it to 26 years old. More than a quarter of a century! I think that's a pretty good accomplishment. 

you've had a birthday shout hurray

I turned 24 on Sunday, and it was lovely:

dan dan noodles from Han Dynasty

puff paint note and glow stick bracelet from Sister Andrus

presents from Mom (the fabric of those Everlane shirts is unbelievably soft)

homemade funfetti cupcakes

chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting (complete with candle holes)

Aaron and I went out for crepes at Beau Monde on Saturday night, and then on Sunday we had friends over for games and cake and cupcakes. I had a wonderful time! Thank you for all of the well-wishing! Lucky for me, there is still chocolate in my cupboard, so the joy and gladness continues. 

(Also, I learned that doing a crumb coat when frosting a cake actually works. For some reason, I am dumbfounded by this revelation.)

birthday princess!

My birthday was awesome, but I have to admit it's pretty hard to screw up a day filled with all of my favorite people and my favorite things (cake, glitter nails, princess crowns, etc.). 

A huge thank you to everyone who made it great!

treat. yo. self.

Birthday wishes:

glitter nail polish. of any color. of all colors.

pretty cupcake liners.

artichoke tea lights from ruche. 

gold knot bracelet.

I feel like birthdays are a good excuse to get yourself some fairly impractical things, like everything on that list. I don't even bake cupcakes that often, and tea lights shaped like artichokes are kind of ridiculous (but really adorable). To my credit, my mom did get me an on sale cardigan and 4 lbs of yeast, both of which I will put to very good use.

If your birthday was a week from today, what would you be asking for? 

cheese please.

For my birthday (a week from today!), I would like Utah to stop selling gruyère and emmental cheese for $9 per 5"x5" square, so that I could make some decent savory crepes with the crepe cookbook Kristen sent me.

Someone could arrange that, right? Just for one day?

kthxbye.

(although even if i did have awesome cheese, the crepes would probably turn out terrible anyway, because ever since me and aaron got married, my cooking skills have decayed exponentially...in the past week i've tried making macaroni and cheese, molta lava cakes, chocolate sugar cookies, nutella cupcakes, and white bean chili, and none! none of them have turned out nicely. grrrrr.)
HOW DO YOU RUIN NUTELLA CUPCAKES?! how can you go wrong with butter + sugar + flour + nutella + nutella cream cheese frosting?! 
bake them way too long, and don't bother mixing your frosting long enough so you have little cream cheese chunks everywhere.
that's how.