I Am Not Domestic

Yet.

Operative word here.

I tried to make shredded pork roast in the crock pot.  It's almost near impossible to screw up crock pot food, but never fear, I accomplished that by using the wrong type of meat (lean pork roast becomes really dry, it's better to use fatty meat like pork shoulder or butt or so I've learned).  As sad of a realization as that is, I am actually quite proud of how far I've come.  A year ago, I didn't even know where to get pork roasts from (I asked the meat guy who walked me over to where pork butts were - ohhh, they're the same thing?  roast is inclusive of all types of areas on the pig but it's just this big chunk? ohhh ok...)

Last night, we had some friends over for dessert and games and I thought... I'll just make something easy with what we have.  So chocolate strawberries it was!  Do you know it is not easy to melt chocolate in the microwave (burned it into pieces) or the oven?!  And even worse, it is a pain in the rear to clean up afterwards.  Therefore, the $4 per chocolate dipped strawberry is VERY worth it in my book.  I wish I took a picture of my failed chocolate dipped strawberries, the chocolate consistency was anything but consistent, chunky and funky looking, but according to my nice friends and husband, it tasted just fine.  Sometimes white lies are good for the soul.

Tonight, I spent hours making homemade cream cheese with strawberries frosting for my cupcakes I made from cake in a box.  I don't make cake from scratch (except for carrot, I'm a pro at that!) because cake in a box tastes wonderful and nobody ever says, "Oh, this taste just like cake in a box, I can't believe you didn't make it from scratch!"  But I mashed some strawberries for my cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar concoction... and then it was too watery.  So I added some more powdered sugar.  And then it was too powder sugary.  And then I added more cream cheese.  And then I called my sister-in-law.  She told me to add more powdered sugar, so I did.  Again.  That's right.  And then I called my friend, Jen, who is a baking guru who actually gave me some wonderful advice and insight - apparently beating cream cheese on the side by itself makes it more creamy before adding it to my mixture (wish I spoke to her the first time I added more cream cheese) and if I have too much frosting (which I definitely did....) I could always split it into two and try to thicken half of my mixture (genius!).

I then used this new awesome technique I learned from Pinterest (unfortunately I could not find the link to share (you put some frosting onto saran wrap and then wrap it like candy with the sides twisted, cut one side of the twisted sides, put that open part into your piping bag and bam!  super neat and easy to dispose piping frosting bags!!!)!

My cupcakes look sad.  Like something melted on top of them and then puked some speckles of pink.  Alas, it makes me happy because they do taste just like the pretty pink cupcakes I had growing up.  You see, in elementary school, I always looked forward to the cupcakes the white room mothers would bring.  I say "white" because that's how I thought of them as my own Chinese mother did not know how to make cupcakes (and none of my Asian friends' moms did either.. we were all the first generation born here) and therefore, I was in awe of these scrumptious wonders that I got at school on Christmas and Valentine's Day (I'm still unsure why these were the only two holidays we always had a party with treats from the room mothers).  I'm not trying to be racist here but Chinese people don't eat cupcakes.  American Born Chinese people do... but go to a Chinese bakery... and guess what, they do not sell cupcakes.  Lots of little cakes and pastries.. but no cupcakes, at least none that I've been to thus far in life.  I digress.

Often when I'm having these not so great domestic moments as a novice, Andy encourages me by telling me the fact that I'm trying is more important than being good at it already.  What a great guy.  I'm glad he's my Valentine tomorrow, cuz someone's gotta eat dem messed up cupcakes right?!