A Grrl's Wrrld

@WankerGirl gets her cupcakes!

cupcakecowgrrl — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 02:47:26 +0000

I really wish I wasn’t in a complete hurry to get everything ready for the 3-day drive that’s ahead of me so that I could give this post the attention it really deserves. I promise I will once I get settled, but for now, you have to go check out WankerGirl’s post about my Random Act of Cupcakes over at her website BLARM!

WankerGirl, a.k.a. Dana, is pretty fabulous!

housekeeping, fabric, and a whole lotta rambling…

cupcakecowgrrl — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 01:27:38 +0000

Warning: I apologize in advance for this mishmash of ramblings. It always happens before I go on holidays.

I leave for vacation bright and early next Friday morning. That means that I have one weekend to get everything in order on the home front.

At the start of the summer I decided that I would makeover the garden furniture, paint and redecorate the upstairs, make new roll-up blinds and pillows, and shampoo my carpets. I’ve accepted the fact that my carpets will probably never be clean, but everything else has to be finished. It shouldn’t be too hard because everything is in varying degrees of doneness. I just have to get things finished up, and of course, take lots of pictures to prove to my mother that I actually accomplished everything I set out to do.

As of 6:30 this evening I am the proud owner of an extension cord, which means that I can cut the grass in my backyard. This makes me excited and scared at the same time. Speaking of scared, I have to change the battery in my car. I’ve never done this before. I’m sure it’s simple, but a little voice in the back of my head keeps asking: Can you get a shock from a car battery? Hope not.

I’ve also promised my friend that I would go back to Gatineau with her in search of fabric. This means that I will have to force myself to remember that I am there looking for fabric for her dinning room chairs and not for myself. This will require a great deal of restraint since I fell in love with no less than 6 different fabrics when we were there last week.

Somewhere in there I have to figure out how to approach a new mixed media art project that has been floating around in my head, and I also need to test out some things on a new project that I have floating around in my head. It’s a really interesting idea, but the test requires putting curlers in my hair (the test, not the actual project). Sadly, the curlers usually stay in my hair longer than the actual curls.

Oh yeah, and I *might* make cupcakes… so there *might* be a random act of cupcakes in the works. just sayin’.

conversations with Joni

cupcakecowgrrl — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:48:20 +0000

Me: “I need a flag for my country.”

Joni: “But, you don’t have a country.”

Me: “I would if I had a flag.”

Key Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

cupcakecowgrrl — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:27:12 +0000

Last Sunday I did another Random Act of Cupcakes. In what has now become Random Act of Cupcake tradition, I had no plans to make cupcakes. Rather, I was cleaning out my closet and (finally) found my beloved Lilly Pulitzer scarf. That got me thinking about palm trees, then that got me thinking about key lime pie. Next thing you know I was at the grocery store looking for key limes and thinking up a way to make a coconut frosting.

I thought about my never-fail butter cream frosting, and thought that if I just swapped out the regular milk for coconut milk, it should do the trick nicely. I was right! Holy coconutty goodness!! When I was all done I had 18 insanely delicious key lime-filled cupcakes with coconut frosting. They were so good I had to share, so I took to twitter and withing minutes the hilarious @ALL_CAPS and I were arranging a delivery time! (BTW: If you aren’t following him on Twitter you should!)

I have to tell you, these cupcakes tasted so good actually I cried a little bit when I was eating one. I have received more compliments on these cupcakes than I have received in a very long time (and I get a lot of compliments for my cupcakes, let me tell you!)

So, if you’re looking for a cupcake that channels key west, break out your Lilly Pulitzer dress and serve up some of these babies at your next backyard barbecue. I have visions of serving these at a super-cute baby shower – the little lime slices just scream the kind of cuteness that a baby shower calls for!

Key-Lime Filled Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

1 Large lime
3 egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg
1 pkg (18 oz ) Yellow cake mix
1 pkg ( 3.4 oz ) Vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/4 cup Water
1/3 cup Vegetable oil
1 tsp coconut extract/flavouring

Filling
1 can Sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Key lime juice (about 8 key limes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the cupcake batter:
Zest the lime until you get 1 teaspoon of zest, and set aside. Squeeze the lime and reserve about two tablespoons of juice. Set aside.

Separate three of the eggs, placing the yolks in a mixing bowl along with one whole egg. Place the egg whites in a container and store in the fridge for another use.

To the eggs, add the cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, coconut flavoring, lime zest and juice.

Blend with an electric mixer until the batter is smooth.

Scoop the batter into lined cupcake pans, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place cupcakes on wire racks to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Prepare the key lime filling:
Cut the key limes in half and juice until you get 1/3 cup. Key limes are pretty small, and they tend to vary in their smallness, so you will need about 6 or 8 key limes.

Place the sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice in a small bowl and whisk together until combined. At first you will think that it is going to be far too runny, but the reaction between the milk and the juice makes the mixture thicken very quickly.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Press the tip 1/4 inch into the top center of each cooked cupcake and squeeze the bag to insert a generous amount of filling into the cupcake, lifting the tip out of the cupcake as you squeeze.

Pipe with coconut frosting and garnish with a key lime slice and sprinkle with a mixture of flaked, sweetened coconut and lime zest.

Coconut Frosting

This frosting is based on the Magnolia frosting that I use frequently.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons coconut extract/flavouring

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.

Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the coconut milk and coconut extract. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.

Gradually add the remaining sugar, and mix until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may need to add more or less of the icing sugar depending on the taste and consistency that you are looking for.

Happy Anniversary, Ottawa!

cupcakecowgrrl — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:00:00 +0000

Eleven years ago I set out in a beat-up old Toyota Corolla bound for The Nation’s Capital. I had never actually planned on moving to Ottawa – it was far too dull…

It was 1999 – the glory days of high-tech boom; I had just finished-up a dream workterm with one of the big high-tech heavy-weights of the day, and had enough ego to get me to the moon – or at least Toronto. Coming from a marketing/advertising background, Toronto would be my logical destination, but the geek inside me was easily swayed by the promise of a job in the company’s Kanata office. I ended up stopping 5 hours short of Toronto, and settled in Ottawa. Those were the days! Nortel was stealing employees from every company in town and Rebel.com wasn’t yet a laughing stock.

I will never forget the day I left St. John’s. The bumper on my 1986 Toyota Corolla was tied on to the car with a piece of rope and the muffler was braced into place with a bright yellow ponytail ring (I’m like MacGyver, I tell ya). There was so much stuff squished into the car that I’m sure the rims of the tires pressed against the pavement. Oh yeah, and I had my cat. And his litter box. And the stereo didn’t work. Family members actually waged bets on whether or not the car would survive the climb up Kelly’s Mountain when we got off the ferry and hit the mainland – err, Cape Breton. I don’t think I have ever prayed so hard in my life as I did on that ascent. Once we made it to the top, I knew everything would be smooth sailing from then on.

The memory of my arrival in Ottawa still comes flooding back to me every time drive past the split westbound on the Queensway. If you’re familiar with Ottawa you know the place I’m talking about. There’s a tiny hill on the highway and it is where newcomers get their first sight of the Peace Tower. For years I had only seen the Peace Tower on television and on my money – whenever I was lucky enough to actually have any! It was a Saturday, and the air was thick with humidity. I was sad, excited and terrified all at the same time. I missed home. As I took in my first sights of the Nation’s Capital – the Peace Tower, Museum of Nature, Corel (!) I shed a tear for what I had left behind, and for what was lying ahead of me that was yet unknown. If only I had known…

My Tuesday (it was the August 1st long weekend) got off to a good start – I got dressed, went in to the office to meet my future co-workers, see my new digs, and get my bearings. Things were looking good! A few days later I received a call from the company telling me that my position had been given to someone else – the HR Director’s daughter. It was then that I got my first taste of what Ottawa could be like. I could’ve gotten upset, I could’ve fought for the position that was rightfully mine, but instead I decided to make the most of the situation, and within two weeks I was starting an entry-level copywriting/ad production job at a marketing agency and I never looked back.

From that moment I have ridden what I call the Ottawa roller coaster – fast and furiously. Ottawa can be a city of beauty, of creativity, and of opportunity. It can also be a very difficult city to feel at home in – especially if you are not from here. I have often said that the people of Ottawa are like planets in orbit – each revolving in a circular motion – you have the natives, the diplomats, the tourists, and those who aren’t from here who have decided to make it their home. Sometimes the planets come into contact with one another, but if left to their own devices, they’re completely oblivious to one another. That’s the part that was hardest for me. I never really felt like I belonged in any of the circles.

I did lead a good life, though. I built a small circle of close friends, married and bought a house, had a good job and went to yoga on Tuesday nights. Then my life fell apart. In typical fashion, I managed to pick up the pieces and got my life back together, but somehow things just didn’t seem to fit, and finally in 2008 I decided I’d had enough. I needed a fresh start after that emotional roller coaster, and I felt like Ottawa was closing in on me. I packed up and I headed West. Within days of my arrival in Alberta I found myself longing for the life I had left behind – for the shops, the festivals, and for the friends - the friends I didn’t even realize I’d had. It turned out that Ottawa had become as much a part of my life as anything I’d taken comfort in up to then.

In the 6 months I lived in Alberta I did everything I could possibly do to get back to Ottawa, and finally did last May. My homecoming was bittersweet: I was eternally grateful to be back here, but I had to eat a lot of crow in the process. None of that mattered, though, the minute I pulled up to my friend Jodi’s house to pick up my apartment keys. I slipped back into my life in Ottawa like I had never left – with one exception – this time around I was grateful to be here. I found myself driving past landmarks and thinking to myself that I was lucky to be living in such a great city. I was making a point of spending time with my friends on a regular basis. I got out and experienced what the city had to offer, and I loved it!

This city has seen a lot with me – it has seen great success, harsh failures; it’s seen me burn bridges, and build networks; seen me love and have my heart broken; and this year, it has seen me lose my bestfriend – someone from Ottawa who let me into her orbit. These days I spend more of my time on the other side of the river, but it still doesn’t stop me from enjoying Ottawa. I savour every minute and I call it home – coming from a person from Newfoundland, that’s a pretty big statement.

So, Ottawa – the town that fun forgot. Thank you for 11 amazing years! Thank you for being hard on me; and thank you for being gentle. I love you more and more with every day that passes.

break it down

cupcakecowgrrl — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:56:57 +0000

one of my colleagues just walked in on me doing the Running Man while singing Can’t Touch This .

Happy Friday!

18 songs

cupcakecowgrrl — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:12:53 +0000

My friends like to remind me that my taste in music sucks. They tell me this all. the. time. Two friends have even – on multiple occasions – threatened bodily harm if I didn’t turn off my music or switch to something more their style. In other words words, switch to something good.

I don’t take offense to it, though. Actually, I like my music. I’m certainly not worldly when it comes to music, so I can’t really judge. And while there are times when I even find myself questioning some of musical selections, I know what I like. So scoff if you will – I’m not switching stations.

Here is today’s list:
18 random* songs currently on my iPhone:

Note: Justin Bieber is most certainly NOT on the list… I’m not actually sure who he is, but his emo hair irks the shit out of me, and I kinda want to punch him in the face. Anyway, on to the list…

Van Morrison, Wonderful Remark (he’s kinda God to me)
The Pixies, Where is My Mind (Pixies = rage. OMG! Love them!)
REM, Electrolite (Michael Stipe is a poet and I love him.)
U2, Numb (this is the perfect song to listen to at maximum volume while driving around Slea Head in Ireland on a foggy day with your best friend. I know because I did it)
Hole, Jennifer’s Body (I love Hole, and essentially everything Courtney Love has ever written/recorded. I actually cried when I heard her sing Reason To Be Beautiful live.)
Paolo Nutini, Candy (I admit to singing this song very loudly when I’m alone driving in my car. I make no apologies.)
Juanes, Es Por Ti (OMG, Juanes = sex. on. a. stick.)
The Ramones, California Sun (The Ramones have been known make me spontaneously break into dance in the middle of my kitchen on more than one occasion… though I wouldn’t actually call it dancing, it’s more like flailing my arms in the air while shaking my bootay)
Amy MacDonald, This is the Life (I had higher hopes for Amy MacDonald when I started listening to her a few years back, but I haven’t heard much from her since then. It’s too bad because she’s really good.)
Bad Religion, Social Suicide (because American Jesus would just be too predictable.)
Prince, Raspberry Beret (Oh how I wish I had a heavy alternative version of this by Sean Panting. I would go to Junctions in St. John’s every night Thursday after work back in ‘the day’ to hear his band, Drive, and EVERY single time I would get them to sing this for me. Then I would usually make out with him. teehee!)
The Band, The Shape I’m In (I really, really love The Band. But then, everyone does, right?)
The Pogues, The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (Funny story: so I’m chilling out in my hotel room in Dublin and I get hit with a total revelation: If póg mo thóin (pogue mahone) means kiss me arse, then given that they were bad asses, and Shane MacGowan was the biggest one of them all, then SURELY The Pogues were in fact The Arseholes. I proceeded to call them The Arseholes for about a week, usually when I was drunkenly being one myself in the company of disgusted irishfolk. It never dawned on me that pogue actually meant kiss. ’cause yeah, I’m all s-m-r-t like that.)
The Grateful Dead, Ripple (deadhead since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I went into mourning in 1995 when Jerry Garcia died because, yes, I was really that much of a loser. True Story. Ripple is the guiding song of my life.)
This recording of the Gayatri Mantra. I’ve chanted this for years now. I’ve also been known to sleep with this on repeat. Is that weird? (little piece of trivia that I discovered a few years back when the familiar words grabbed my attention as BSG was coming on – it’s used in the the opening theme music. I admit that this fact has lessened my devotion to the mantra, but I still chant it, and I am completely in love with this musical version.)
The Tragically Hip, Another Midnight (Gordon Downie = poet. I effing love him!)
Amelia Curran, The Mistress (I discovered her last year, and honest to gawd, I still can’t get enough of her. If you don’t know who she is you NEED to go give her a listen.)
Hara, Muro Shavo (I admit to not really having any other Hara, but it kinda represents the mishmash of bad euro pop dancy stuff that I hear and love when I’m in the vineyard. Embarrassingly, I have a lot of it…and that might very well be the root of my friends’ complaints.)

*given that iPod shuffle kinda sucks balls in that it selects from a set number of songs, I usually get stuck with a series of random songs by two or 3 artists at a time. If anyone knows how to change that please let me know. In any event, I selected these ‘random’ songs by putting the player on shuffle and hitting forward until I got 16 songs that I felt gave a good representation.

Happy Birthday Sissy Creature!

cupcakecowgrrl — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:31:54 +0000

today is my little sister’s birthday.

My sister is one of the most amazing women I know. She is an amazing mother, a devoted wife, a fiercely loyal friend, and she has the kindest, gentlest heart I have ever know a person to have.

I love you, sis!
xoxo

5 things I would probably die without

cupcakecowgrrl — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:07:58 +0000

internet. i won’t even go camping if the campsite doesn’t have wi-fi.
baths. i have tried to live without a bathtub and it made me miserable. I am not flexible on this one.
sundried tomato pesto. I could eat it with a spoon if I’d let myself. Every time I eat it I declare that if I could only have ONE food item for the rest of my life it would be sundried tomato pesto.
a camera. point and shoot, slr, digital, film, I don’t care. I need a camera. mental pictures just don’t cut it.
a journal. electronic or paper, I have been a religious journal keeper since I was 8 years old.

10 things that make me smile for no apparent reason

cupcakecowgrrl — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:48:39 +0000

…other than they just make me happy.

cupcakes. that’s an obvious one.
my nephew. he is awesome, and I absolutely love him. I would do anything in this world for him. I also love that even at his young age he has my sense of humour.
sitting next to the ocean. preferably on a foggy day when there is nobody else around.
watching children play. either on their own or together, I love seeing the pure joy on a child’s face when they are immersed in play.
my old cat Fubar. I miss him terribly. He was such a bad ass, which is probably why he was the best cat ever. I smile every time I think of him.
fresh brewed coffee waiting for me when I wake up. no explanation needed there.
this shade of green. it has become known within my circle of friends as lori green.
the smell of lemons. fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon oil. mmmmm… lemons.
driving over that little hill past the split just as you come into Ottawa after a long roadtrip. it’s at that second that I realize I’ve made it home.
lilacs.

Note: I had to change the numbers to bullets because this damn theme defaults to letters instead of numbers. wtf?? If someone could fix that for me it would also make me smile.