Cupcakes, Conversations and Cheesecake…

I love a good story…especially one with a happy ending…

All of you who are waiting for me to post another doll dress, please hold on just a bit longer. That time will come, but today I have to tell you a story… a story about a little girl named Sara. You were first introduced to her (HERE). She is a little 9 year old girl from Columbia, South America, who is here in the United States with her dad, and her mom, who is a student at the University in my town. Sara is going to a public school and is learning English very quickly. Her mom knows English fairly well and her dad is working at learning it. He likes to call my hubby his “teacher.” We had an almost instantaneous bond from the very beginning with them. We picked them up as strangers from a hotel back in August and took them to their apartment. They came here, having sold everything except what would fit in 9 suitcases. They are a wonderful couple and Sara is just a delight.

Her birthday is Sunday and she’ll be 10. She discovered at her school, all the kids brought cupcakes for the class to share and not wanting to be any different, she asked if we could make some together. The University was closed today because of the weather, so Sara’s mom was able to come after all. Her mom wanted to make the cupcakes with me because she has never baked anything before…nothing! It’s hard to imagine in the United States, but in Columbia, it must be easier to just go to a bakery. I told Sara’s mom to buy 2 cake mixes in whatever flavor she wanted and we would make and decorate them at my house.

We got started by adding the eggs and the oil to the cake mix and I was thinking this is awfully thick cake batter. I thought to myself, “well, it’s been a while since you’ve made cupcakes,” but something was wrong. Sara’s mom actually saw on the box that we forgot to add the 1 1/4 cups of water… DUH Jeanne…

Sara’s mom then said in a joking way, “We want a new teacher.” I’ll be the first to admit I’m not an expert at cupcakes. (I just know a good one when I taste it!) We all laughed! We added the water and it was much batter. (I mean better!)

Look at the concentration on Sara’s face as she fills the muffin cups with her batter.

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Her mom didn’t want any shots of her face as she didn’t have any makeup on… silly woman (She’s naturally pretty!) so you’ll only see her hands. But she did want proof to her family that she was BAKING! She’s never used a mixer before. (You can’t imagine how much fun this was for me!)

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Here is Sara (and her mom) licking their first beater…priceless, huh?

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If that picture doesn’t do anything for you, how about this one; where she is eating the last little bit of batter as she watches her cupcakes bake.

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We got them all baked and then it was on to the frosting. We made a homemade butter cream frosting and tinted it pink. (Can you say YUMMY?)

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Sara decorated them with some pink sprinkles and then some edible pearls.

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This is one she made especially for her dad…

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We had just a tiny bit of frosting left so she wanted to make me and her mom one. This is the one she made for me as a big thank you. The “T” is for thank you! The one in the bottom right corner with the heart is the one for her mom!

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Here’s a “group” shot of the cupcakes in all their glory!

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Aren’t they beautiful?

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Now here’s the “rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would say. I just got a text from Sara’s mom telling me her school was cancelled tomorrow because of the snowy weather. Awwwww, NO!!! So there will be no school birthday party. But she sent me a second text saying that Sara has decided to share the cupcakes with the little children in her apartment building… Awww again, right?

What a sweet little girl who has no idea how big her heart is!

One more thing…the cheesecake. Sara wasn’t the only one baking in the kitchen today. My daughter, Rebecca was making her boyfriend a cheesecake for his birthday. I’ll just let the pictures show you how it turned out…marvelous I might add. That’s my little baker!

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Talk about a yummy day!

See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne

18 thoughts on “Cupcakes, Conversations and Cheesecake…”

  1. All I can say about today’s blog is —YUM! So funny that you forgot to add water when you are the one showing them how!! But Jeanne, it could and does happen to everybody! I knew firsthand!!! Oh, how pretty those cupcakes turned out, and how did she do the icing to make them look like rose petals? Some kind of attachment or something?

    You tell Sara’s mother that she has the prettiest hands, just couldn’t help but notice that in the picture of her!

    That little Sara is just the most precious little girl, and you must be so lucky to have her in your life. I wonder now, is she going to be a seamstress or a baker when she grows up?

    And oh my gosh, that yummy looking cheesecake! I doubt this boyfriend of Rebecca’s is going to let her go after he gets and eats this!

    1. HI Linda,
      Forgetting the water was a real humbling thing for me… I had gone over my frosting recipe and bought what we needed, gotten all my decorating tips out for decorating them, and thought I had everything ready…so who would have thought I’d forget the water? Not me…

      I noticed her hands too, but not until I saw them in the pictures. They are beautiful aren’t they?

      I’m telling you, this little Sara is going to go places when she gets back to Columbia! I told her yesterday she’ll probably open a bakery!

      Yes…that delicious looking cheesecake…too bad we’ll never get a piece of it to see how good it really is. We’ll just have to go on the hearsay of others… *sigh*

      Have a wonderful weekend Linda,
      blessings, Jeanne

  2. Wow!! Lots of yummy things to look at. Sara and her mother did a wonderful job on the cupcakes. It was very nice of her to share with others when the first plan didn’t work out. I love the strawberry flowers on your daughter’s cheesecake. Very creative. 🙂

    1. HI Chrisine,
      Yes, plan B is always good to have when Plan A doesn’t work out.
      It was a yummy day just spending it with them. We had a lot of fun together.
      I’ll tell my daughter you liked her cheesecake. Wish I could taste it, but I’m sure it will all disappear before I ever see it again. She’s taking it out of town to his parents house….
      Thanks so much Christine,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  3. That is a very sweet story! I love the pink cupcakes, they look like roses. Sara and her mother did a wonderful job with you as their teacher. Rebecca’s cheesecake looks so yummy..love the strawberries!

    1. HI Regina,
      It was a yummy day from start to finish! Yes, those strawberry roses she made are beautiful aren’t they?
      Thanks so much for your comments, Blessings, Jeane

  4. What a sweet story and what a sweet little girl! The cupcakes look great. Although I’m not that fond of sweets, I have to admit that cheesecake picture was making me wish I had a big piece. Did your daughter do the strawberry roses? It is so artistic and beautiful!

    1. Hi Carolyn,
      I sent Sara and her mom a link to the blog post today so she can see how the day went from my perspective. I think she’ll have fun sending the link to her relatives back in Columbia. …Especially for Sara’s mom…since she’s never baked anything before. It was a lot of fun.

      My daughter DID make the roses on her cheesecake and yes, she’s quite the “food artist!”
      Have a nice weekend, Carolyn,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  5. “Awe” is right! What a great day for Sara and her Mom to learn to bake together. Good Ole Cake mixes…can’t beat them! You are so sweet to spend a day teaching them!

    1. HI Kathie,
      Yes, we used cake mixes for our first baking lesson… I figured it would go faster that way. We did have lots of fun and laughs in the kitchen. I hope it was as memorable of a day for them as it was for me!
      Thanks so much Kathie,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  6. You are a blessing for all those around you…including us readers!

    Beautiful baking and bakers!

    1. Awww thank you Jane,
      What kind words you have started my day with! Thank you so much!
      I had lots of fun baking with them and then lots of fun sharing their story with you all.
      Blessings, Jeanne

  7. What a fun day for everyone! I love that you let her lick the beaters! (my daughter won’t let her kids do that 🙁
    The rose strawberries are so pretty!!!

    1. HI Karen,
      What fun is it make cupcakes if you can’t lick the beaters! They really enjoyed it!
      Thanks so much Karen,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  8. Hi Jeanne,
    The baking looks like it turned out successful and so delicious looking. Sara is just adorable and such a pretty young girl. And…her mom has pretty hands !
    What a blessing you are to so many people – you are so giving of yourself and of your time.
    All of us have had our moment of flub ups doing our cooking or baking. Your “water” story reminded me of last Christmas when my son wanted to make pumpkin bread for several Christmas gifts. He asked for my help and I also offered to pick up the few spices he didn’t have for the recipe on my way over to his place- it was his first time baking bread. I told my son “always have your dry and liquid ingredients measured ahead of time so they’ll be ready to add to your bowl and the oven on.” In the process of measuring the dry ingredients, he asked, “surely you don’t add the cloves in this way – how do I crush them?” I had accidentally purchased whole cloves instead of powdered clove. Fortunately he wasn’t too far from a grocery store!!

    1. Hi Paula,
      I’m glad I’m not alone in my flubs while cooking. I guess everyone has their stories they could tell. It’s easy to pick up the wrong spice…I know that first hand too!
      It was a really fun day for all of us! One I know I won’t forget for a long time.
      Thanks so much Paula. Are you still in “warm country?”
      Blessings, Jeanne

  9. Jeannie B. in TX

    What a lovely experience for all of you! Little did we know that while the cupcakes were being made another daughter was also in the kitchen making a cheesecake. Hhmmm that must be one very special “boyfriend”. Maybe you need to be looking at bridal satin next time you go to the fabric store!!
    As to the cupcake adventure – how fun for all of you. Sara has a wonderful heart to share her cupcakes with the children in her apartments. That is real kindness that we need more of. I also noticed her mother’s hands and they are truly lovely. She could be a hand model for sure. I do notice those things as my own hands are short, square and now affect by arthritis. – bent, knobby and crooked.
    In all it sounds like a really wonderful way to spend a cold & snowy day. btw – I hope your sister will reconsider her visit and take the time to travel to your home for some sister time together! {I would give anything for such family time}.

    1. Hi Jeannie,
      Thank you so much for your kind comments. We won’t even discuss the bridal satin comment though!!! :o)
      Yes, we all had fun in the kitchen and yes, she has a big heart, just like her parents. I’ll make sure her mom sees the comments about her hands. She told me her hubby said when they were dating that she had lovely hands.
      My sister was so disappointed that the roads were too bad in my area for her to visit, but I told her I would bring my mom down in a few weeks, (or whenever it clears up) and visit with her. She was a little better after I said that. I DO love time with my sisters and wish you could have that too!
      Blessings, Jeanne

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