food for my soul!

During this season…{which by the way God, in nature a season only lasts 3 months and we are going on 21 months and according to my math (of which I am not an expert) we are in our seventh season}, I have learned I need to take care of me in all of the challenge. What nurtures my soul are weekends full of my children at home {and Amber’s precious fiancé, Jason-and Scooter’s adorable blessing of a girlfriend Sam}, pedicures even in the winter when no one but me sees my toe nails, dinners out with the girlfriends, running early morning when 93% of the world is still sleeping, and writing in my journal in the comfort of my jammies & flannel sheets.

Well, this weekend was a soul-nurturing weekend {so needed and deserved-amen!}…with all home to celebrate Scoot’s 19^th birthday. I spent hours in the kitchen with Amber on Saturday mixing-measuring-blending-baking-and of course eating! One of the recipes I shared with her was…marble red velvet cupcakes! I adapted the recipe from one I saw in People Country magazine that was for a Christmas cupcake.

Here is is…

Marble Red Velvet Cups of Cake

1 box of white cake mix

1 cup buttermilk (you don't need to run to the store if you don't have buttermilk-just take alittle less than a cup of milk and add 1T. vinegar or lemon juice and let sit for a few minutes)

½ cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

2 tsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350. Line 20 paper cups in muffin pans. Beat cake mix with buttermilk, water, oil and eggs. Mix until well blended about 2 minutes. Remove 2/3 cup batter and stir in the cocoa and food coloring. Set aside. Place ¼ cup of white cake batter in each muffin cup. Drop a teaspoon of red cake batter on top of each cupcake. Swirl with a toothpick. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting…like my mama used to make

I cube butter (softened)

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese (softened)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 ½ to 3 cups powdered sugar…the entire box makes it too sweet.

Blend all of the ingredients in a mixer slowly adding the powder sugar so you don’t have this sweet white dust cloud. Put in a piping bag and frost each cupcake! You can top with a berry or some red sprinkles…or leave them just plain. Enjoy!