Cupcakes

In an attempt to get into the holiday spirit, I made some cupcakes for my company’s holiday party. Luckily, they are a drinking bunch (I know I’m going to fit right in here), so I made spiked eggnog cupcakes. I found the recipe on Baking Bites, and you can access it here.

I substituted cognac for rum, but you could use bourbon or brandy, or whatever you like to put in your eggnog. These turned out incredibly moist and delicious and were a rousing success at the office. I highly recommend them to anyone attempting to make holiday inroads with a boozy neighbor or in-law.

Happy baking! And happy holidays!

Good Day

I love my new job. It's so nice to work somewhere normal again. I have normal hours, normal pay, heck, even normal coworkers. I had forgotten how awesome normal is. I'm still amazed at what a simple joy it is to come in, make myself a cup of tea, then sit at my desk (my desk) and go through my emails amid the gentle chatter of my arriving coworkers and the occasional quiet snuffling of the owner's dachshund.

Such a great day today. Even with my predecessor off to the maternity ward sooner than expected, and some fun, technical difficulties that took half the day to fix, working there is still heaven. And on my way home, I explored one of the Middle Eastern bakeries along Mt. Auburn called Sevan.

I bought falafel and hummus, dates, pistachios and jordan almonds. I even tried one of their dolmas, which the man behind the counter was kind enough to heat up for me; heaven! I can't wait to go back and try their baclava and buy some tubs of olives. Mmm, and so many varieties of Turkish delight! Yum.

And now, I'm home. The wind and rain beats against my windows while I enjoy my hummus and watch an old movie. I'll head to bed in a bit, get a good night's sleep, and do it all over again.

I can't remember the last time I was so happy with the everyday.