Don't Use Box Cake Mix

I remember back in 2006, Congress required food companies to tell people the amount of trans fat that's in their product.  That's when I first took noticed of what trans fat really is.  From what I understand, trans fat is obtained in the process of turning regular oil into solid state.  It is unsaturated fat that increases your bad cholesterol and decreases your good cholesterol, which put you at risk for heart diseases.  I remember reading about an experiment some time ago, the person placed margarine (trans fat) and butter (regular saturated fat) outside in the yard for the bugs.  After awhile, the butter is full of bugs while the margarine had no bugs.  Even bugs know the real stuff from the fake stuff.  Margarine is trans fat made from particially hydrogenated oil.  It is used in almost all packaged products to extend shelf life.  After reading that, I just cannot, in good conscience, continue to feed my family trans fat.  While butter is bad for you in large quantity, it is the better of the two evils.  So I rather eat small quantity of butter than trans fat.
 
With that said, I try really hard not to buy snacks and other items with trans fat/partially hydrogenated oil products.  But sometimes I just can't avoid it all together because the kids will get it from school or other places.  Five or six years ago it seems that everything contains trans fat from crackers to cheese to cake mix to cookies.  But now-a-days there are many more trans fat free alternatives.  Cake mixes contain trans fat, but I sometime still use it because it is convenient, cheap, and make decent cakes.  But no more!  I find that making cake from scratch is not as time consuming as I thought, it taste much better, and cost about the same.  Although if you bake with chocolate bar, it can be costly.  But I think the taste is is well worth the price.  

If you use cake mixes, I would like to convince you to use this recipe that I found for moist chocolate cupcake on For the Love of Cooking website.  The result is very very similar to box mix, but it's better for you.  And, you can say that you made it from scratch.  Some people likes dense cupcakes, but I like it moist and fluffy.  This is a very moist recipe.  I made this and brought them to children's church last Sunday to celebrate C's b-day.

Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 tbsp instant coffee (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degree.
Sift together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla then beat together with a mixer until combined.
Scrape the sides of the bowl then desolve the instance coffee in hot water.  Then add the boiling water and mix until just combined. The batter will be very watery so don’t be alarmed. Pour the batter into a measuring cup (it’s so much easier and cleaner than using a spoon) and pour evenly into each liner. Place into the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before frosting.

Birthday Month

February is a big birthday month for us.  Both Mui and C are born in the same month.  I have been wanting to bake and try different cake and cupcake recipes, so I made them each a homemade yellow cake with strawberry and banana filling and whipped cream frosting.  It's really light, fragrant and not too sweet, just the way I like it. I think it's worth the effort to make the cake at home because I know exactly what goes in it. 


Homemade cake.  I still have to work on my piping skills.

Mui was so excited for her birthday.  She knew that she was going to get presents and that she gets to blow out the candle.  When she opened her gifts, she kept saying, "My present."

No fancy birthday party for the kids this year.  Caleb got a small playdate with a few classmates.  A house full of 3rd grade boys is chaotic.  They are so active that some can't even sit to eat.  Everyone was super excited to play so they ran all around the house from top to bottom, front to back.  They were busy with organizing themselves in teams and creating games.  I love to hear the way they play.  But boy, I need to rest for a week after taking care of them.

4 hours of free play for the birthday boy at Boomers.  Unlimited racing, golf, and laser tag.  Boys loved it.