Afternoon Time

So thankfully T.L. Rhodes returned my precious girl to me on that first day with a smile and plenty of stories about her first day.  She saw old friends and made some new ones and truly liked her new teacher.  So far so good!

We went to the grocery store that day to get supplies because it was her turn to bring snacks for class the next day since it was her birthday on that Monday.  I chose to make some delicious cupcakes that my friend Shannon made for work before.  They were strawberry and creamcheese and did not have to have icing if we didn't want any.  My little assistant got started on the batter.  The recipe for them is here: 






Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

For the cupcakes

28 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size)

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix

1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup crushed fresh strawberries (5 - 6 large strawberries)

3 large eggs

For the filling

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese at room temp

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 28 cupcake cups with paper liners and set the pans aside.

2. Make the cupcake batter: Place the cake mix, strawberry gelatin, and flour in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the milk, oil, strawberries, and 3 eggs and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Set the batter aside.

3. Make the filling: Place the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and 1 egg in a medium size bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is creamy, 1 minute.

4. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup of cupcake batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 26 - 28 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any) Spoon a generous tablespoon of the cheesecake filling over each cupcake.

5. Place the pans on the center rack of the oven. If both pans do not fit on one oven rack, it's fine to let a pan sit on the counter while the first batch of cupcakes bake. Bake the cupcakes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 20 - 25 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and plan on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes longer before frosting.

6. Meanwhile, make a cream cheese frosting to top them with when cooled.

I found that the baking time is closer to 18 to 20 minutes if you are using the convection setting.  These things were super yummy and Albree said everyone loved them.  Here is before we iced them.  I forgot to take a pic of them after icing.  I also topped each with a Whole strawberry that had the top cut off for some nutritional value. 

That night for dinner we had potato chip coated chicken nuggets.  Once again my little assistant was happy to lend a helping hand.

First we cut up the chicken breasts and coated them with seasoning.  (You can see our choice of seasoning haha)

Next we whisked 2 eggs and some milk together for the coating.  Then is the fun part.  You get to crunch up a bunch of potato chips in a bag until they are very fine.  Toss the chicken in the egg mixture and then the crushed potato chips and place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and Voila!  Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Later that evening we had a brief sprinkle but Albree was dressed for the part as exemplified here:

She and her daddy finished the evening with a game of catch and our other child sat there like a perfect angel and watched the game though he wanted to chase the ball SOOOO bad. Got to love and cherish these moments.