Cupcake Emergency

Alas, that would be 10:55 PM, not AM

There are some things that terrify most people. Snakes. Dark alleys. Going to class and discovering there is a test. For me, it's disappointing my kids. I honestly can say I'd rather face a dark alley full of snakes while taking a calculus pop quiz than see the eyes of my offspring brimming with tears because I didn't keep a promise.


As you may have noted on these digital pages the last few days, I have been in Las Vegas since last Thursday. The time leading up to my trip was absolutely exhausting. My mother-in-law stayed with the kids for us. So, in addition to the usual pre-vacation task list, there was  the information and dinners and shopping and errands to run in order to make sure all went smoothly for those we were leaving behind. Of course, in the middle of all that preparation, my youngest had a field trip. Naturally, said field trip involved a celebration with cake. When I signed the permission slip for the trip, I had casually offered to make my sweetie her own cupcake for the event so she wouldn't be left out. Unfortunately, it was a half hour after Whole Foods closed on the eve of her field trip before I remembered my promise.


Ugh.


It really wasn't the beginning of any great tragedy. I had all the ingredients to make a really great almond flour chocolate cupcake, thanks to Elana Amsterdam's Gluten-Free Cupcakes. The problem was my energy level and an aversion to destroying the kitchen after having finally put it in order for my mother-in-law. As I dove into the pantry to pull out the ingredients a little box that had been sitting patiently on the back of a shelf caught my eye. It was a gluten-free chocolate cake mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen. I bought it on a whim one day, only to stick it in the pantry and forget about it. Some call that impulse buying. I call it preparing for unforeseen circumstances. In this particular case, I call it a massive blessing.


That little box required nothing more than vegetable oil and water. That's it. No egg. No milk. It was like having a little emergency treat kit. Within twenty minutes, after dirtying only one bowl, one spatula and a muffin pan, I had two dozen moist, delicious gluten-free, dairy-free cupcakes. It was awesome! I would recommend anyone, not just those with food allergies, keep a box of this stuff around. There were plenty of times in my pre-gluten awareness life that I could have used such a simple mix. 


The next morning, I was able to present a late-night, last-minute cupcake to my youngest. Instead of tears of disappointment, I got a quick 'oh, thanks, Mom', as she skipped out the door. Not the dramatic conclusion you'd get after escaping a dark alley full of snakes, but certainly more satisfying than any high marks in math.

*May 2, 2012 Update: I'm sharing this little story and review over at WholeNewMom for Allergy Free Wednesday. I discovered this online soiree through Diet, Desserts and Dogs. I'll be adding this nice blog to my regular rotation.