Showing posts with label Bachelor Pad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bachelor Pad. Show all posts

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Take a Byte... Umm... Bite of This Cute Cupcake

Been checking out various cupcake recipes on Betty Crocker online today and found this cutie for back-to-school! Celebrate a job well done in the classroom (teacher and/or students) with mini versions or this size:


A+ Betty Crocker -- The Web site offers a fun feature where you can fill in up to three items from the pantry and *PrEsTO* it will build a recipe! How cool, right? I thought so. And if you love coupons, you will LOVE Miss Betty! www.bettycrocker.com

As for my cool-for-school selection is that the cutest laptop or what? Bet it is delicious too! I'd definitely take a byte... ummm... bite of that computer! I just love that it is an apple cupcake -- perfect for September-October... Let the fall baking begin! Yay! I started my own festivities this weekend with a 12 oz. pumpkin latte from Starbucks. I even got inspired to create a pie board on Pinterest. I will post a link when it's ready. FACT: Do you know that I have never made a pie in my entire life? That just will not do anymore. I want to start making PIES, dang it! It's a bucket list entry -- it's that important! I really don't want my pain from Neurofibromatosis to get in the way. If my pain can stay within reasonable limits and my energy can hold on here and there for some solid afternoons, we might just be in business, as they say. See building endurance and keeping my energy up (without 12 naps a day) is my current challenge. I would love to be able to bake a pie or two, a batch of cupcakes, and yummy pumpkin bread (a family favorite). We will see. I'm excited about the possibilities, though. I want my body to cooperate SO BAD yet like so many in similar circumstances know it can be disappointing season to season, putting up with constant aggravation, sadness, and missed opportunities. It is nursing those quelched hopes -- big and small -- that finally bring the tears. It is something hard to admit but it is true.

With chronic pain, much of it is out of our control. We do what we can and the rest we have to
deal with day to day and sometimes minute to minute, watching that timer like a nervous, first-time baker...waiting for that delicious cookie to rise.

Nerve pain is the the hallmark of Schwannomatosis or what I call NF 3. Don't tell any doctors or researchers. Heck, do! Why didn't they just call it that? Anyone know? Anyway, nerve pain, especially this brand, listens to no one. I mean NO ONE! It is the ultimate devil, the robber of life, the arch-enemy. I think you get the picture. Just ask anyone who has it. It is as haunting, even more so, than anything you find on Oct. 31. Let me make myself clear: the pain is scary, the people with the condition, like myself, ARE NOT! The adjectives that describe nerve pain are telling: stinging; jolting; radiating; numbing; burning; zapping; and more... The list could fill a large billboard. But I'd rather see a billboard photo of cute cupcakes (like above) or an ad for Dancing With the Stars' hottie Maks! Oh, don't act like you don't know WHO I speak of! Mr. Chmerkovskiy! (Brief side note: Good thing the contestants of Bachelor Pad did not get his last name at the Spelling Bee last week! Who knows how long that bee would have lasted! Those poor child judges.

As a person dealing with chronic pain issues 24/7, (my unscripted reality show) I have good days and not-so-good days and bad days. Fingers crossed with an upcoming medicine adjustment, I might be able to do more and actually sleep less. With that hope, I am making a list of Fall Fun Activities/Goals. You can do the same. Steal a few of mine, add a few of yours... Include them
below in the comments section! I love hearing from people! So when you have a good
day you can access the list and pick an item. Why not, right? If you have a significant other, children, extended family, etc., your list may look a lot different. Just remember to include 1-2 items for JUST YOURSELF. Like a massage. Too much $$? A lot of places run deals, so
don't automatically put the kibosh on pampering! Phone apps & newspaper & radio ads are
great places to start looking for % off.

My body is Ahhh-ing already just thinking about a SPA day.

With a new pain doctor working on my case and a hopeful spirit, I hope YOU & I, my reader, can enjoy autumn out and about... even if it's just a little bit. It is, after all, my favorite time of year!





A Few of My Autumnal Options
*Visit a pumpkin patch
*Make a pie from scratch
*Make seasonal cupcakes
*Visit craft store for inspiration
*Order festive dog collars for my fur babies
*Spend morning or afternoon at coffeeshop reading or writing at leisure
*Read political cartoons to offset the blistering candidate commercials
*Take autumn walk on cool, brisk day
*Enjoy tossing frisbee with puppy, Oliver
*Get a massage
*Enjoy a pedicure so my toes have autumn flair
*Go to local library & read magazines
*Make meeting of local writers group
*Visit church during off-hours to pray, listen
*Stretch right hand to strengthen mobility
*Try to journal with pen at times instead of with just computer (My left hand is at bit more difficult to write with given it is not my dominant hand. Journal with both and be
patient!)
*Last, but NOT least, make dog treats for "the kids."



***READERS, DON'T HOLD OUT ON ME! What are some of your favorite autumn treats? Don't forget: I would LOVE to hear your ideas and plans for fall.

 ©The Healing Redhead