Cupcake Validation

Yesterday I got some amazing validation from Princess when she returned home from school. You see our school system still lets you send in cupcakes for a child’s birthday. Even more amazingly, our school system still allows parents to send in homemade treats. Ah, the blessings of living in the country!

For Princess’s 10th birthday (double digits!!!) I had made a batch of “funfetti” style cupcakes-just regular sized cupcakes with a box of mix. Probably about $2 for the mix, just pennies for the added eggs & oil. Then I made my standard homemade icing recipe-again, probably cost me less than a dollar.

I had read a tip on the Funfetti box about adding KoolAid powder to icing for flavor & color-so I tried it. I had some grape/strawberry twist flavor in a packet (the kind where you add your own sugar) so I tossed that in.

Unfortunately, it only died the icing sort of a pale gray/purple, and the powder didn’t really dissolve in the icing-it stayed in little specks. Not the most attractive look.

When I tasted it though, it had a grape flavor, and when the little specks of crystals dissolved on your tongue you got sort of a “sweet-tart” effect. I figured what the heck, threw some food coloring in to make more of a purple effect and piped it on to the cupcakes in an easy swirl with my 1M icing tip.

I drove the kids to school (cupcakes + bus ride = disaster) and then went along with my day.

When Princess got home from school I asked her how folks liked the cupcakes.

“They LOVED them” she said. “Thank you so much for making me homemade cupcakes. Everyone else in my class has to have store bought cupcakes-I’m so lucky.”

Wow.  How blessed am I?