In the Heights of Complaining

Ain't no party like a girls' night out party and Alexis and I rock that fun. It starts with a milkshake from Milkshake Factory and ends with a show at the Benedum and it's always good.

Always.

This past Friday, we started with milkshakes and ended with In the Heights. Let's go ahead and get the part where the CLO gave me the tickets (they rock) out of the way. That doesn't have any impact on my thoughts on the show, which are that it was AMAZING. Holy cow. Everything Lin-Manuel Miranda touches is fantastic. The only bad thing I can say about the show is that the actor who plays Usnavi (aka Lin-Manuel's role when he was in the show) sometimes comes across as trying to be Lin-Manuel playing Usnavi instead of himself playing Usnavi. Of all the people in this world, I think Lin-Manuel might win at proving that being yourself is the best path forward.

Do you hear me future Alexis and Mila? You are uniquely qualified to be you. Do it, even when there is someone who is worthy of your adoration.

ANYWAY.

I took Alexis to the show because she is currently obsessed with Hamilton. OBSESSED. She is reading the book that inspired the show right now, in fact. She's THAT kind of crazypants. Given that the dancing is all sorts of fantastic and the music is way catchy, I expected that walking out of the show, she would gush about how great it was.

There was no gushing.

"It wasn't my favorite," she said.

Which, WHAT? I saw the kid tearing up at one part and bopping in her seat at another part and there was no way that she didn't enjoy it. Thus, I requested that she explain herself.

"Everybody in the show has so much drama! All they do is complain about their lives and then they don't do anything about any of it. They just stand around and complain. It's their own fault if they aren't happy!"

She later admitted that she did enjoy the show and I have caught her trying to teach herself some of the choreography, so maaaaaaybe her first reaction isn't her lasting reaction but WOWSERS. Apparently that thing that I preach about how she's not allowed to complain about things she can control has gotten through? Maybe?

Now how do I get her to teach the rest of the world?

Turns Out Mila Has a Jealous Streak

My girls are very special little snowflakes, so they do weird things like forget to be jealous of one another. It's a spectacular oddity to behold - they seriously don't do the jealousy thing. Not about each other, anyway.

Except, well, I broke it.

For months, Mila has been obsessed with picking flowers. And for months, I've been beating it into her little head that we don't pick flowers. BAD CHOICE! Don't do that! Leave the flowers for others to enjoy! BACK AWAY FROM MOMMA'S GARDEN, PUNK.

She was sort of starting to get it, but then it came to be time to do Alexis' annual daisy photos and I flat-out wasn't thinking. I told Alexis to go outside and pick some daisies. She did, of course, and Mila busted her doing it. 

There was a lot of yelling.

And then I told Mila to simmer down because Alexis was allowed.

AND HOOBOY DID THAT MAKE IT WORSE. Mila saved up a lifetime of sibling jealousy for that moment and she unleashed it with a fit of fury. It was spectacular. I did the only thing I could think to do to make it end and that was to tell Mila to go help Alexis pick daisies and WOW. That made it all worse.

Once they were done fighting over daisies, which, there are THOUSANDS growing in the yard right now, Alexis popped back into the house and was ready for photos. But Mila wasn't done being mad that her sister was allowed to do things she wasn't, so she decided she was going to be in the photos as well. Or instead. Whichever.

Oh, and Mila decided she had to wear a fancy dress since Alexis was wearing a fancy dress. She somehow managed to squeeze her giant self into her Halloween costume from 2 years ago. It was very "Fat guy in a little coat." 

And, no, I do not know why there was a plastic fish there. It just ... happened.

It was every bit as uninvited as a certain preschooler who took over the whole production.

Raspberry Lime Cupcakes

Raspberries are relatively inexpensive right now, which means I'm buying them by the cartload. I did exactly that yesterday with the goal of baking ALL. OF. THE. THINGS. involving raspberries today.

But, uh, Mila. Apparently Mila could reach the bag that held the raspberries in the back of the car. Apparently she also figured out how to open the first container of them. And the second. Basically, Mila ate a pound of raspberries while we were driving home. I sort of knew she was back there helping herself, but I didn't know she was acting like it was her last day on earth.

WELP.

Thus, I am dreaming of these cupcakes. They were on the list because it has been a while since I made them. I've posted the recipe before and it's still a good one. Maybe I'll get to enjoy them again soon? Maybe?

I really better get to eat them soon.

Ahem. MILA.

I'm not sharing with her, though. She has lost all rights to raspberry cupcakes.

Raspberry Lime Cupcakes

(Makes 24 cupcakes)

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh raspberries (one 6 oz package = approximately 1 cup)
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lime juice (juice from one lime = approximately 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon lime zest (1 lime is plenty)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans.

Note: You are going to need three bowls to make your cupcake batter, plus a bowl for the raspberries. 

2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. Place two tablespoons of the flour mixture in with the raspberries and gently stir to coat them. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix until well combined.

5. In a separate large bowl, combine the sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix well.

6. Mix a little of the flour mixture in with the butter mixture. Then mix a little of the sour cream mixture in with the butter mixture. Keep alternating the two until everything has been mixed into one bowl.

7. Gently fold in the raspberries.

8. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners. These cupcakes don't rise much, so fill the liners at least 3/4 full if you want full-sized cupcakes.

9. Bake at 350 for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

10. Allow to cool before frosting.

Whipped Lime Frosting

1 package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 cups heavy cream
1 package raspberries for garnish (optional)

1. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Mix until light and fluffy.

2. Add the lime juice and mix a little more.

3. Slowly add the heavy cream as you continue to mix on high speed. The frosting is done when it forms stiff peaks.

4. A frosting bag is WAY helpful for this stuff. Just about any size/shape will work as this is a pretty soft frosting.

5. Frost your cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator.

6. The raspberry on top for garnish is totally optional.

6. Eat six of them before your preschooler show up. Okay, seven. Quality control is important, after all.