Happy First Birthday, Nicholas!

On the big day, we popped into Dad's office for a birthday lunch. Nicholas' first run-in with a cupcake wasn't successful [i.e. didn't end up all over his face]. That night we attended our bi-monthly PEPS meeting and he had a grand time playing with his buddies.

Later in the week, Nicholas got his first haircut. This decision about when to have his hair cut was hotly debated between my husband and me. I won't say who won that debate but I will say that Nicholas is stylin' a new do and had fun getting his hair cut. To celebrate this milestone and my own birthday, Nicholas had a second run-in with a cupcake. On his hands, all over his face, in his mouth, in his belly, up his nose. It was pure delight.

The week ended with Nicholas' party-turned-biggest-playdate-yet at Gymboree Play and Music and, you guessed it, another cupcake. Now I've lived the sentiment: to spoil a baby rotten.

So what now? Well, every bit of cupcake he shoved into his mouth proved to me that he is capable of eating chunky food. So believe you me, his veggies, proteins, fruits and breads will be in chunks from now on. The jig is up, Bubba! You're a big boy now.

Cupcakes are Yummy!

I did not grow up a huge fan of cupcakes, nor did I dislike them. They just weren't part of my family's dessert repertoire.

When I moved to Ballard in 2006 and discovered Cupcake Royale on NW Market Street, I had to institute a rule: one cupcake per week. While it's much easier to impose some self control, I'm still a sucka'!

I tend to go with what I know – lavender frosted chocolate cupcake or lemon frosted vanilla cupcake. Then I saw the seasonal Skagit Valley Farm Strawberry frosted cupcakes. Are you kidding me with the locally grown, real strawberries [organic no less] in the icing? I'm all about it!

And as if that wasn't enough pure pleasure, I found myself inside the Wallingford Center this same week. I had to take a peek at Trophy Cupcakes and Party. Not only were their cupcakes gorgeous, the ambiance was a treat. I tried their Red Velvet Cupcake. Never has red velvet cake tasted of chocolate to me like that cupcake did.

Cupcakes are yummy indeed!

Oh! Oh! Self-control, where are you?