Red Velvet Cupcakes and a New Beginning

Fact: I graduated in May of 2011. With a seemingly insurmountable level of debt, a bachelor’s in Psychology, a few wonderful friends, and no direction in life.

Fact: For the past eight years, I have learned that I enjoy cooking and baking to de-stress.  By de-stress, I mean it makes me happy and I enjoy spending time measuring, cutting, sautéing, and mixing.  Perhaps I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, maybe everyone has some level of a personality disorder.

Fact: I am a goal driven person.  I need to have deadlines.  I need to have goals.  I need details.  I need to have proof (As Jean Cocteau said, “There is no such thing as love; only proof of love”).

Conclusion reached from the previous three facts: I am baking (de-stress) something every Saturday (deadlines) from Martha Stewart’s cookies and cupcakes books (details) in order to make myself happier (goals).  I’m giving myself a direction, using nothing for the first fact except that I work two waitressing jobs to pay for this. 

I have officially started on my quest to conquer these books.  My first adventure into baked from scratch: RED VELVET CUPCAKES.

I created these cupcakes from scratch.  It was the second time I have ever made cupcakes not from the box.  I think it was successful.  Things I’ve learned from this experience: red velvet cupcakes have depth of flavor, red food dye ruins my manicure and gets all over your bathrobe if that’s what you choose to wear (I do), I dislike cream cheese to the point that I don’t enjoy cream cheese frosting, and I looove baking. 

Also, like Gretchen Rubin discovered, “One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.”  And who doesn’t love homemade, moist, delicious, red cupcakes when the person giving them to you has a huge smile on her face? 

I should also mention, part of this experiment is to make more friends in my place of work, since I moved to the Capital District of New York with my bed, belongings, and a small family.  I have just one friend to speak of, and he was Pat’s best friend growing up, so he is rightfully Pat’s friend.

Week one: wonderful success!!