7QT: Chicken Dances and Cupcakes

1.  Yesterday, I was in the right place at exactly the right time.

I was driving to Costco from what Jill affectionately calls the "library-store" when a "FREE YOGURT" sign caught my eye.

Rainbow Cow's Grand Opening began at 11am, I pulled up at 11:03.  Though we were underdressed compared to the crowd that had gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Jill and I were given the royal treatment, complete with photo shoot.

They gave out full-size cups of frozen yogurt or sorbet complete with "bottoms," which are cookies or brownies or pretzels in the bottom of your cup, and your choice of toppings.  Jill had gummy butterflies, Edmund had mini-Whoppers.

Rainbow Cow is a self-serve place, featuring ten or so unique flavors.  One of the owners encouraged us to try different flavor combinations.  Jill and I had vanilla with Zeusberry swirl, Edmund had Java Caramel Chip, Triple Chocolate, and Cookies and Cream.

I very much hope that this little frozen yogurt place does well, considering I went there twice on Opening Day (once with Edmund).  I have sorely missed TCBY these many years.

Linking up with Clan Donaldson for Theme Thursday.

2.  Super Easy Dinner that Wowed My Spouse and Kids

1 3lb. bag of frozen mini-wontons I got the chicken and cilantro kind from Costco.  Trader Joe's has them too.
3-5 cans or 2-3 boxes of your go-to chicken stock/broth
1 bunch green onions chopped
optional:  the leftover kale from two nights ago, cooked or uncooked

Throw everything in a pot.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down to low and keep warm until everyone gets home.  Serve with cracked red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce.  Sit back and enjoy the compliments.

3.

Every night when I have Jill say her night prayers, I say "Help me to be good."
She says, "Help me to be good."
I say, "Help me to love You more."
She says, "Help You to love me more."
I say, "Help me to get to Heaven."
She says, "Help me to get to Evan...Where's Evan?"

Evan is either her sweet baby cousin in Texas, or her brother's skate-boarding friend.  We were picking up Edmund from Evan's house one day and she started saying, "There's Evan!  There's Evan!"

4.  I am still quoting Key and Peele's East vs. West sketch from last year.  Peter informed me that there is an East vs. West 2!   My favorite player from last year is Beezertwelve Washingbeard, but this year's line-up includes Benedict Cumberbatch!

5.  I rode with a couple of friends and their babes to a rosary at Mary Kate's house on Wednesday.  Jill was in rare form, having woken up waaaaay tooooo early that day.  On the way home, to distract everyone from yelling, another mother suggested, "What does a cow say?"

Unanimous mooing from the third seat.

"What does a chicken say?"

Two clucks, and my child does this:

Not the Chee-Chee-Chaw one, that Kaw-Ka-Kaw one.

6.  Have you tried this Rum Chata stuff?

Mary Kate got some for her birthday and her sister-in-law is absolutely right.  It tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a bottle.  If you could bottle the Reading Rainbow theme song, this is what it would taste like.

Then Mary Kate goes and posts this Rum Chata Cupcake Recipe.

Rum Chata Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup RumChata
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine sugar & butter and beat until fluffy.
Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, & cinnamon, set aside.
Mix the RumChata & vanilla together, set aside.
Alternating, add in the flour mixture and RumChata mixture in to the butter and sugar.
Start and end with the flour mixture.
In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form (this will be easiest in an electric mixer).
Fold egg whites in to the batter – do not do this in an electric mixer, use a spatula.
Fill cupcake liners.
Bake for 20 minutes.

RumChata Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces of cream cheese (1 1/2 packages, at room temperature)
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick, at room temperature)
1/2 tsp of vanilla
5 tbsp of RumChata
1 package of confectioners’ sugar (2 lb. bag)

Combine butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Add vanilla.
Slowly add confectioners’ sugar.
Mix in RumChata.
Frost the cupcakes.
Hide them from the kids or eat all at once.

7.  Too bad I won't be home to bake Rum Chata cupcakes this weekend, I'll be chilling with Cardinal Dolan and Brandon Vogt and CARI DONALDSON and Jim Gaffigan. 

Did I mention the lovely and vivacious Cari Donaldson will be there?  Cari Author-of-Pope-Awesome-available-for-pre-order-here?  And her Texas-accented Ken too!

Cari, you need more acceptable photos of Ken that I can steal from your facebook page.

Cari's leaving her children with a very responsible adult for part of a day.  I'm leaving mine for a full thirty hours in the care of my seventeen year old son and his sixteen year old sister.  Together they make one adult, right?

Please pray for them that they survive and that Edmund doesn't get hurt at his homecoming football game.

And if those intentions are too trivial, pray for my sister, Anne and her babe-in-the-womb.
If I lived in Houston, Anne, I'd bring you Rum Chata cupcakes!

Linking up with the masses at Conversion Diary.