My cupcake conundrum

A Dunkin Donuts has opened up around the corner from my place of employment.  It's literally less than a mile from my desk to a warm cup of DD coffee.  Oh, how happy this makes my coffee-loving heart.  For 8 quarters, 1 nickel and 1 penny, I can get a medium coffee with creamer and a splash of mocha.  

Last week my department was cold due to the fact of the fluctuating temps - cooler in the morning and then afternoon warm-ups.  I really do love Fall.  Our copyroom is always cold because our new fandangled copier jams if the humidity gets above 3%.  Maybe that is a smallish exaggeration but it's close.  

So last week not only was the copyroom a tundra but our actual department was cold.  Cold as in I'm-so-glad-I-have-an-emergency-sweater-in-my-cubicle cold.  Due to the chilliness, I went to DD on Friday and ordered a DECAF coffee with my two favorite fixings.  The cashier and I got talking about gluten.  She washed her hands and donned a pair of gloves and made my coffee.  In between the time of her hand-washing and the actual coffee making, a little voice in my head said, "You should remind her about the decaf part" but another little voice said, "That might come across as condescending.  She's an adult.  She can remember."

Fast forward an hour or so, my co-worker asked, "Are you SURE you ordered a decaf?"  Oh yes, I stated decaf thrice, I assured him.  He mentioned something about me and laughing and maybe talking more to myself than usual.  Phish - he doesn't know me. 

Around 11:45 that same evening, I knew FOR A FACT my decaf coffee had been compromised and it was not truly decaf.  On a totally happy note - I did manage to sweep and mop my kitchen and bathroom.  I cleaned my kitchen and did 3 loads of laundry AND I finished the mermaid tail blanket.  (Photos later after the birthday girl opens her present.  I will also share with you my yarn conundrum.)  

I'm not too upset about the accidental caffeination of Angie Good.  It was bound to happen.  I mean, really, if that's the worst thing that happened to me last week then it was a good week.  I did, however, wish that the Lord would cast the caffeine into the swine - much like He did with the demon-possessed woman. 

I did treat myself to an hour power nap on Saturday...due to the late night Friday night.

Sunday morning was full of church and then chocolate cupcakes.

It was a total cupcake conundrum.  You see - Woodman's grocery store has carried a particular brand of mini-gluten-free cupcakes for who knows how many YEARS.  Said brand offered chocolate, zucchini and carrot mini-morsels of yumminess.  A package of 12 mini-morsels was circa $5.  Several weeks ago I signed up to bring birthday treats to the October 3rd Bible study.  It's our favorite pastor's wife birthday.  She loves chocolate...I mean, who doesn't?  I know there are people out there who do not.  I do not trust them...but I know they exist.  How sad would life be without some form of chocolate?  Whether it's white chocolate or dark chocolate or milk chocolate.  High cocoa content or low.  

Anyway...after years of carrying these lovely treats - which were going to be my birthday treats for this special meeting - Woodman's stopped carrying them.  And it's not just MY Woodman's.  It's Randall Road Woodman's and Janesville Woodman's.  The snobby Randall Road store could not be bothered to walk to their gluten-free frozen section (which let's be honest - is like the length of my apartment with ONLY a handful of frozen baked goods) to even check to see if they have them.  Janesville checked confirmed a negative on the treats.

I, then, caved and called a hipster grocery store in Schaumburg.  (Can you tell I really didn't want to bake?  I get nervous baking gluten-free baked goods for people outside my "comfy circle."  What's a comfy circle?  My comfy circle are those friends that will eat not-so-pretty baked goods.  It's not that I cannot bake - it's that gluten-free sometimes isn't pretty...my gut loves gluten-free so my gut wins every single time.)  

The hipster store had double chocolate gluten-free cupcakes.  They named their price.  Meh.  When I inquired on the quantity (and I needed 2 dozen), they said they had 5.  Five.  Wow - talk about a criminal amount.

At this point, I stopped making phone calls.  I stopped looking and I sucked it up and went to Meijers where I treated myself to a new cupcake pan (I think they are called muffin pans but I really like the "cupcake pan" notion and think I'll spread that around), King Arthur's gluten-free chocolate cake mix, and a lovely jar (yes - a glass jar) of allergen free frosting.  

I came home and whisked up the cupcakes.  Baked them...all the while having to endure the chocolatey scent wafting through my apartment.  I managed the binge-read quite a bit of my October 4th Book Club book.  

Tonight we partook of my fine baking skills and I must say, they were deeeeelish.  I don't want to brag but King Arthur and I made some yummy gluten-free treats.  

And now it's Monday night.  It's 2 hours after said Bible study.  All but 5 of the cupcakes were consumed.  Three were sent home with Rhonda and I kept 2 - one for me and one for my sweet co-worker.  

I love it when I surprise non-gluten-free people with my tasty gluten-free treats.  It seems to me that people equate gluten-free and free of all the crap to mean that it will taste horrible.  Do not get me wrong - some of it is bleh.  I bought some crackers once that looked like corrugated cardboard.  Note to self:  If it looks like cardboard, do NOT purchase it cause it may very well taste like cardboard.  Otherwise - I really haven't ran into much gluten-free that tastes too bad.  I know that these cupcakes will not make me have a migraine, an upset tummy, other issues.  I can indulge and not worry about brain fog and feeling not Fun Angie-ish.  

Embrace the gluten-free life.  And when you do - I will totally bake chocolate cupcakes for you!!!!!!  :)