Hey There, Li'l Cupcake

Recently, I found a new way to give cupcakes. It is my new favorite way to celebrate someone's birthday. In the past two weeks, I have given cupcakes three different times. Twice I have sent them long-distance and once I gave them in person and each time I was excited to do it.

You see, I'm giving jars of cupcakes. You read that right. Cupcakes in a jar. I found the idea online--sorry, can't remember where. I didn't bookmark it and now can't give credit. Once again, I didn't originate the idea, but I'm having a ball copying it!

See? Aren't they cute?

I sent the first batch to my dad. The next batch went to the teacher I work with, and the last batch went to my mom just this week. (Those are the ones in the pictures.) And lest you think that I am Superwoman, I'll let you in on just exactly what a major baking FAIL I had with these cupcakes.

You see, I gave each person six cupcakes, but because the birthdays were just spread apart enough, it was necessary to make different batches about every 4 days so the recipients would get fresh cupcakes. So when I made the cupcakes for my dad, all went well. I got them baked, in the jars, frosted, sprinkled and sent. And my family was delirious over the thought of having some cupcakes around the house. But then my friends? Things went terribly, terribly wrong.

Okay. Not wrong in the "I burned the house down" or "I inadvertently caused the recipient to have horrible gastric problems." But wrong in the "Either I have early onset CRS* or I have too much on my mind or I just can't follow simple instructions" sort of way. It's also possible that I am too stupid to live.

When I was baking the batch for my coworker, I misread the instructions and switched the amounts for the oil and the water. Now friends, these were not from scratch cupcakes. These were Duncan Hines' best. That's right. Only the best for my loved ones. And how many times in my life have I made a boxed cake mix? Approximately eleventy billion and two. I don't know if my middle-aged eyes just misread the numbers or what, but somehow I messed it up. And I knew it right away. Almost as soon as I dumped in the oil, I knew that I had messed up. But "no worries!" I thought. It was easily resolved. I just told my oldest daughter that if she'd watch the kids for 5 minutes, I'd run to the grocery store down the street and pick up another mix. So I did, and I followed the directions this time and everything turned out great. My coworker loved the cupcakes, so mission accomplished.

Then on Friday, I was making them for my mom and you would think I might have learned something from my last round of idiocy. But my friends, you would be wrong! Because learning a lesson quickly is simply not in my genetic makeup. At the very least you would think that when I bought the cake mix for this round I might have bought more than one, you know, just to have one as a backup. But you would think wrong. I only bought one. And promptly made the same mistake I made the last time. GAH!!!

My husband was heading out to drop off or pick up one of our children from um...someplace (Perhaps I do have attention issues..) so I kindly asked him to pick up another mix for me. Go on. Ask me if I told him to get me an extra. Go on, ask!

For the purposes of this post, I'll be you: Hey Sara, did you learn something from your last mistake(s) and ask your husband to get you an extra mix to have on hand? Just in case--and I know I'm reachin' here--but just in case you mess up?

Me: Hell to the no. Because that would be the simple and sensible thing to do! And I? I, my sweetlings, prefer to do things the hard way. To prove, um....I don't know! I do not know why I didn't ask!!! Gah!! I am too stupid to live!!

So! It was on to Round #2 of Sara vs. The Cupcakes and I was determined to get it right. I measured my water carefully. I checked the meniscus. I rechecked. I re-rechecked. And then I put the correct amount of water into the mix. I measured my oil. I checked and rechecked and re-rechecked and dumped. Things were looking good. I mixed the batter and spooned it into the cupcake liners. But as I was spooning it in, I thought, "Gee, this batter seems kind of thick. Huh. Wonder what that's about?" And just as I was about to put the cupcakes into the oven, the little flag in my head started waving.

I forgot to put in the eggs. Too. Stupid. To. Live.

I baked them anyway thinking that there was a possibility that they might come out alright. Maybe like a flourless cake--all rich and sumptuous. I cannot explain to you how wrong I was. I baked those suckers for an hour and they were a gloopy, gloppy mess. FAIL!!!

Finally on Round #3, I asked my daughter to double check what I was doing. And with teenage supervision, I finally got it right!

I got everything decorated and carefully packed up and drove to the UPS store to mail them.

Now I wonder if you can guess how this story ends? Make your guesses in the comments. If you guess correctly, I will make and send you cupcakes. (And I promise to have my teenager supervise me.)

Come on now, are you game? Would you like to have 6 yummy cupcakes to keep all for yourself share with your loved ones? Leave a comment. Oh! And make sure I have a way to contact you! You wouldn't want to miss out on a chance for the yumminess.

**CRS= Can't Remember S#%*

*The first two commenters to correctly guess will win. Alas, I'd love to send all of you cupcakes, but it is simply not possible. Also, I'm sorry if you are reading this from somewhere other than the Continental U.S.--well, not sorry. I love that you are reading. I'm just sorry that I can't send you the goodies. You can still comment, though! Finally, let me know your flavor preferences in your comment. Keep in mind that I am limited to whatever is on the shelves at my local Kroger. Have fun!