Orange Sunshine Cupcakes
The world is not a perfect place. At times, unfortunate things happen to the people who deserve them the least. Take, for example, my brother. Sure, he may not get the best grades, and yeah he’s a bit of a rebel, especially compared to myself and my sister. He’s a teenager, and boys will be boys, right? At the same time, he’s a very smart kid, and at the very core of his heart is a very good person. Perhaps at times, he’s even been the type of kid who can get in trouble with the law and not be phased by it. Yet no matter how much mischief he causes, he didn’t deserve to get cancer.
No one should have to have cancer, and certainly never twice. Unfortunately, that is just what my dear little brother has had to go through. At age six, he was first diagnosed with acute leukemia. At the time, I was only twelve years old. When you’re that young, the gravity of the situation doesn’t really hit you. Of course it was horrible seeing him in the hospital, or gaining weight from the medications, or losing all of his hair from the chemotherapy. Still, at such a young age I couldn’t quite grasp the concept that my brother’s cancer was a really, really bad thing. The doctor told us he would be fine, so I was inclined to believe that everything was okay.
For a while, everything was okay. After a few years of treatment he went into remission, and we figured his leukemia was something we could put behind us. We mistakingly believed this was something we would never have to worry about again.
*******
August 29, 2007. The most dreaded news comes by phone. The leukemia has come back, eight years after his first diagnosis. It was his first day of school as a high school sophomore. He couldn’t even make it to his first class – he was in the nurse’s office before the first school bell rang. Off to his doctor he went – the same doctor who treated him the first time, and had been giving my brother bi-monthly checkups since he went into remission. Our worst fears had come true. The leukemia had come back, stronger than ever.
You might wonder, how did I take the news the second time around? My reaction was completely different than the first time. Now fully past my teenage years, I had the maturity to fully understand the weight of the situation. Tears. Many tears. Utter helplessness at not being able to do a single thing to make him better. I wanted so desperately to be able to give him my bone marrow, or do anything at all that would help him beat the leukemia as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, I was not a match. No one in our family was. We are of such mixed racial background that it would have been near impossible to find a match in the national registry that his body wouldn’t reject, so the doctors decided to take a different, albeit longer route to rid him of his cancer.
*******
September 8, 2008. Over a year has passed since we found out that he had relapsed. I spent the day at the beach with my brother, one of the few times he can get out of the house. His blood counts are low, so he can’t be in close contact with many people, but it’s a school day (he’s home schooled for now) so the beaches are emptier than they would normally be on such a nice day. It’s remarkable how much he’s changed since that first diagnoses. Nowadays, he’s much taller than me, although I’m six years older, and he’s growing into a man faster than I can keep track. His hair is growing back after the most recent hair loss – he cares so much about his looks these days, he hates having to lose his hair. He loves the ladies now – no longer the innocent, sweet little boy he used to be – and they all go wild over him. He’ll be driving in a few months – I still can’t believe that this kid brother of mine will soon be allowed behind the wheel of a car. He still seems far too young for that.
At the same time, he seems older than his age of nearly sixteen years. Concepts that are, even now, foreign to me seem second-nature to him. He educates me about gang life in our home town, assuring me that he isn’t part of any gang; he tells me about the parties he goes to. Popularity was never something I strived for back in school, although for some convoluted reason he seems to think I was one of the “cool kids”; he’s easily one of the most popular kids in his class.
*******
Despite our many differences, he is still my baby brother and I love him dearly. It kills me that there isn’t anything I can do to rid him of his leukemia. Like many people, I turn to food when I feel hopeless or helpless. The difference is that I don’t start eating lots of food when I’m upset – instead I cook. It’s the only way I know how to help out my family in such times of need.
*******
In the same way that October is national Breast Cancer month, the month of September is the national month for both Children’s Cancer and Leukemia – two causes near and dear to my heart. These cupcakes were the perfect way to support these causes for me – not only are they delicious enough to brighten anyones day, they are also just the right colors – orange for Leukemia, and gold for Children’s Cancer. I used lemon frosting to complement the sunny orange flavor of the cupcakes, and to round out the citrus flavor, mango strips served as the cancer ribbon garnish.
Want to know how you can help? There are many people who have leukemia and other bone cancers who are unable to find a bone marrow match. Please try to get tested for a bone marrow transplant registry… the test consists of nothing more than a simple blood test, like you might get at a normal physical. By doing this, your blood sample will put in an international registry, so in the case that you are a match for ant of the many children or adults who have leukemia or a similar disease, you can help save a life.
Here are some national and international Bone Marrow Transplant Registries that you can contact:
Thank you to anyone who decides to register!
Orange Sunshine Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 egg whites
- 1 pinch salt
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Sift flour and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
- Fold in sifted flour, alternating with orange juice.
- In another bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff and add a pinch of salt.
- Fold whisked egg whites into the mixture.
- Spoon batter into a cupcake pan lined with cupcake cups.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cupcakes comes out clean.
- Frost with your choice of frosting (I used store-bought lemon-flavored frosting).
- If desired, garnish with strips of dried mango, twisted into the shape of a ribbon.
Ham, Asparagus, and Cheese Sauce Crêpes
It had been a difficult day. As members of the company, we had been required to help out at the Annual Garden Party. Clumsy girl that I am, I had dropped a platter full of hors d’oeuvres face down on the floor. Fortunately they had been the goat cheese-stuffed grapes that nobody was touching, so it wasn’t a huge loss. Nonetheless, I was nearly in tears from embarrassment. It was tradition that the ballet company members would perform a dance that we had rehearsed for ages. Unfortunately, this was a dance I disliked intensely, and I felt like a fool in the costumes we had to wear. (Looking back, it seems silly – in years to come, I would be forced to wear much, much more ridiculous costumes.) All in all, it had been a pretty lousy day.
It took only one thing to take the day from unpleasant to wonderful. The crêpe lady. My ballet company had hired a woman to come to the Garden Party and make free crêpes for everyone there. She set up her stand in front of the house where the party had been held, and would make each person a crêpe with whatever fillings they wanted. For me? Bananas and chocolate.
It was love at first bite. Then and there, I knew I would forever love crêpes. Unfortunately, it was many years before I would have crêpes again. I don’t go out often to eat, so I’ve never been into a crêpe shop, and up until a couple of years ago, I had no interest in learning how to cook. However, once I did find a love for cooking… crêpes were one thing I knew I would have to make.
These taste just how I remembered them… thin, sweet pancakes that I filled with bananas and chocolate sauce, just like when I first tried them. I made a second batch of more savory crêpes, filled with ham, asparagus, and this cheese sauce. The savory crêpes were so much more amazing than I had expected them to be – it’s actually a toss-up as to which fillings I prefer.
After I made these crêpes and went raving to my parents about them, I discovered they had owned a crêpe pan for many years. My response was, “What? You had a crêpe pan and you didn’t tell me?” This actually happens quite often – I’ll discover some new recipe and rave about it to them, then they’ll tell me that all along they’ve had some kitchen gadget that would have made things so much easier for me. My parents hear, “And why did I never know about these things?” quite often these days.
Banana and Chocolate Crêpes
I found this recipe on A Whisk and A Spoon.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus some for the pan
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking Directions
- In a blender or food processor blend the flour, water, milk, eggs, butter, and salt for 5 seconds.
- Turn the motor off and scrape sides down, with a rubber spatula.
- Transfer the batter into a bowl and let it stand, covered, for 1 hour. The batter may be made up to one day in advance.
- Heat a 7 to 8-inch crêpe or non-stick skillet over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking and remove from heat.
- Brush the pan as necessary with butter.
- Stir the batter, pour about 1/8 cup of the batter into the pan.
- Tilt and rotate the pan quickly to cover the bottom with a thin layer of batter and return any excess batter to the bowl.
- Return the pan to the heat, loosen the edge of the crêpe with a spatula, and cook the crêpe until the under side is browned lightly.
- Turn the crêpe, brown the other side lightly and transfer to a plate.
- Fill with any fillings you like. I love to fill my crêpes with sliced bananas and chocolate sauce, or ham, asparagus and a cheese sauce.
- Crêpes can be made in advance, stacked, wrapped in plastic and stored refrigerated for 3 days or frozen.
Grandma Day’s Cheesecake
I should not be left alone with a cheesecake. It’s dangerous – both for the well-being of the cheesecake and for my waistline. So when I discovered how incredibly easy the cheesecake that my aunt makes for all our family gatherings really is… well, I can kiss my girlish figure goodbye.
Cheesecake is easily one of my favorite desserts. The crumbly graham cracker crust, the rich, creamy filling… especially the tangy-sweet sour cream topping. Son and I have been known to consume an entire cheesecake in a weekend. An entire cheesecake… for just the two of us. It’s entirely possible we have a cheesecake problem. We might need help. The big problem is, this cheesecake is so ridiculously easy to make. Just mix, bake, mix, bake, refrigerate, eat! Perhaps not quite as easy as those no-bake cheesecakes, or those pre-made cheesecake fillings you can buy, but the tiny bit of added effort is entirely worth it.
Make this cheesecake once, and then try – just try – to not make it again when the first one is gone. It’s just. That. Good.
This is my paternal grandmother’s recipe – my aunt (on my mom’s side) got it from her at my mother’s wedding shower and has made it quite often since then.
Grandma Day’s Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ready-made graham cracker crust
Cheesecake:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 8 oz cream cheese
Topping:
- 8 oz sour cream
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Beat eggs until thick.
- Beat 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and cream cheese into the eggs, until smooth.
- Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until firm.
- Cool about 15-20 minutes until top is firm.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Mix sour cream, 4 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla until well combined.
- Pour on top of cream cheese layer and smooth out.
- Bake at 400° for 10 min or until firm.
- Chill 6 hours or overnight
Pecan Pie Muffins
I love pecan pie. Son loves pecan pie even more than I do. Pecan pie is a regular at my family functions – Thanksgiving, Christmas, sometimes even Easter or the Fourth of July. Son first tried pecan pie around the first time he had spinach dip and deviled eggs – at my family’s Fourth of July barbecue in 2005. As much as he loves apple pie, which was the other offering, he couldn’t get enough of my mom’s pecan pie. (No, I will not show you her apple pie recipe… yet. Last time I tried making it, the apple pie ended up looking more like a turkey… epic FAIL.)
I have not yet tried making her pecan pie recipe. As you can see, I do not get along well with pie crusts… I swear they have something against me. However, if I can find something that tastes just like pecan pie but is infinitely easier to make? Heck yeah I’m making it!
That is what happened when I found these pecan pie muffins. They are unbelievably easy to make – only five ingredients, and at most they take half an hour to make. Half an hour! For a recipe – any recipe – that is incredibly fast. You might be thinking, “Sure, they’re quick and easy. But are they any good?” A resounding “Yes!” If I hadn’t stopped him, Son would have downed the entire batch in a day. The pecan pie lover gave these his seal of approval and is, as I type this, asking me to make more. I’d say that’s a good sign.
The original recipe says it makes 18 mini muffins, but I made 36 and could have easily gotten more out of the batch.
Pecan Pie Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup butter, melted
- 2 eggs
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Combine everything in a bowl.
- Spray 2 mini muffin tins about 3/4 full.
- Bake 18 minutes.
Pecan Pie Muffins
Cheese Age
I was apprehensive at first. Although I am learning to love spicy foods, my sensitive little tongue can still only take so much. The first nibble got only fried won ton; the second a bit of melted cheese. The third bite… ohmygoodness spicy! Normally after one bite of overwhelming heat, I would have made Son eat the rest. But with these… more please?
I first tried Cheese Age (pronounced ah-gay) when I took Son to Honda-Ya for his birthday last year. These cheese and jalapeño filled won tons were one dish that we knew we would have to try to replicate at home. Although they were quite spicy (I was grabbing for a glass of water, while Son had no problem at all with them) they are one of the few spicy foods I can’t get enough of.
I’m not the only one who adores them. The first time I made them, I took them to a Christmas party with my mother’s side of the family. Everyone liked them, and my Great-Aunt loved them so much, she kept going back for more and even took the rest of them home with her.
They do take a bit of effort to make, but I promise you it’s worth it. (Great. Now I’ve got myself craving more cheese age. See how delicious they are?) Oh and I know it uses Velveeta, and I’m probably going to be banished from the foodie world because of this, but I really was just trying to replicate the original cheese age the best I could. Although I haven’t tried, you could probably make them with cheddar or some other type of *real* cheese, and they would be just as good.
Cheese Age
Ingredients
- 1 package of wonton skins
- 1 package of Velveeta individual cheese slices
- 1 jar of sliced jalapeños
- vegetable oil
- water
Cooking Directions
- Lay down a wonton skin so one of the corners is pointing towards you.
- Place a jalapeño slice just below the halfway point of the wonton skin.
- Break the cheese slice into thirds.
- Break each third of the cheese slice into pieces, arrange on top of and around the jalapeño.
- Brush the bottom two edges of the wonton skin with water.
- Fold the top half of the wonton skin down over the fillings.
- Press the edges together to seal the wonton.
- Pour enough oil into a frying pan so it is at least an inch deep, heat it until it is hot (sorry, I have no exact temperature for you).
- Place one layer of the filled wontons into the pan.
- Fry wontons until they are golden brown. When we did this, we found that they expanded quite a bit and would start to leak cheese if one of the sides hit the bottom of the hot pan (which is why we want the oil to be deep enough so this doesnt happen.
- Let cool, and enjoy!
Cheese Age
