I should know better....

If you will recall, Caleb volunteered me to bring cupcakes to his 3rd grade class party today for Halloween. I am the Queen of Duncan Hines. I sit upon my throne with my sceptre and crown shouting to the masses my Cardinal Rule #1 ... "Accept no substitutes!"

And then what do I do? I break Cardinal Rule #1 and buy a store brand cake mix. I baked the cupcakes last night and now I remember why we created Cardinal Rule #1. Suffice it to say, I am leaving in a few minutes to purchase a Duncan Hines Cake Mix and hurrying home to bake 24 cupcakes, frost them and decorate them to get them to school by 1:00 this afternoon. 

I should have known better when I poured the mix from the package and it was the strangest color of chocolate I had ever laid eyes on. But I persevered, believing it would be okay in the end. I added the ingredients, mixed it up good and thought the batter was the sickliest shade of chocolate - not to mention it stunk. I know that sounds strange. I mean whoever heard of bad smelling chocolate? I thought maybe they would be okay once they started cooking. Oh my gosh! My house smelled so bad I had to light candles to hide the nasty cupcake smell.

Then the baking was nearing an end. The timer went off and the cupcakes looked hideous. Did they raise nice and fluffy like my Duncan Hines. No, they raised to the top of the cupcake liner then spread out on the pan looking like a flat muffin top. But they were done and I took them out to cool. When it was time to pop them out of the pan....no pop. No twisting out, no prying out, nothing. Yet, the flat tops peeled off the top of the cupcake and they were very moist and fluffy inside, just really crumbly. We had to literally take our fingers and wedge into the side of the cupcake to get it to release from the pan. A special thank you to my dear hubby for helping release the cupcakes and clean the mess afterwards. Needless to say, 24 stinking crumbling cupcakes are buried in the trash can, tied up and ready for the dump today and I am going to go meet up with Duncan Hines and bring him home. 

And before you say anything, it was not the chef because I made a spice cake with cream cheese icing that turned out 100% perfection....of course, IT was DUNCAN HINES! Point made. 

On another note, I was going through my closet last night trying to decide what to wear today for Halloween when inspiration hit. I am not big on orange so I was looking for something that might go with the holiday. I found my absolute favorite sweatshirt I own. 

I got it at Myrtle Beach many years ago and despite numerous washings it is still so fresh and new looking. I love this shirt and wear it a lot on really cold days. It will be perfect for today with the black cats. 

Happy Halloween!