Rhubarb Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

Before we talk about important things like cupcakes, some things have been happening lately:

1. I graduated! Technically in December, but in April I flew back to Provo to walk at BYU's commencement and convocation. Gosh I missed Provo. It was surreal being back there. Everything was the same and familiar, but different too because life keeps on going for everyone still there. Somebody different lives in our old apartment and somebody else is studying in my favorite chair in the Brimhall. I was on the verge of tears all weekend because I couldn't believe that this part of my life was coming to a close. The best part of my life so far (I'm still deciding how I feel about the med school part), very officially done with. I'm grateful for it and can't believe that I was lucky enough to attend BYU. It was the best thing to ever happen to me (I met my best friends, my husband, and received a world class education).

2. Christian officially finished his first year of medical school at the U of R. Can you believe it?! What a whirlwind of a year it has been. It's had plenty ups and plenty downs as well, and I can't get over the fact that he is 1/4 of the way done! I wish there was a way to say how proud I am of him, but I don't think anything can really do it justice. He is the most incredible man on the planet so there's that. 

3. Chin also left yesterday to go to Officer Training. I don't know if I've shared it here on the blog or not, but Chin is doing medical school through an Air Force scholarship. Basically, they pay for medical school, and at the end of residency he'll be an AF doctor for 4 years before he can go into private practice. I was worried at first, but the prospect of potentially living overseas while he does his payback makes it seem like a pretty good deal to me. So anyways, he's off to Officer Training in Alabama for the month of June, while I'm here in Rochester. I'm terrified of him leaving because we've had enough time apart this year (e.g. a whole semester) but I'll make do. Lady and I will stick together. 

And finally, let's talk about cupcakes. One of my absolute favorite parts about our tiny little house is our backyard. We have a nice, secluded chunk of lawn (front and back!) that's surrounded by pine trees. We borrowed my parents' fire pit for the summer and have a nice patio set, with lights strung along the back of the house, making our yard ideal for dinners outside and weekend gatherings. I just love how cozy it feels. I also love that we have plants! It sounds silly, but we have a beautiful rhododendron bush as well as new pumpkin plants, rose bushes, hydrangea, lavender, and best of all, a rhubarb plant.

Our rhubarb plant was HUGE this year, and consequently I was able to make these cupcakes with fresh rhubarb straight from the garden. And they were divine. Chin dubbed them as his favorite cupcakes I've ever made, and that was without the frosting on them. They're thick and dense (my favorite type of cake) and have a perfect tang, tempered slightly by some sweet sugar and butter.

The frosting is the perfect compliment. Fresh, sweet, and smooth, you can really taste both the rhubarb and the strawberry, a divine combination for summer. 

I made these pretty in pink cupcakes for the last Med School Wives Club get together of the season (we'll all be off in different directions for summer), and I loved how girly they were. I didn't take any pictures with my real camera, so iphone pictures will have to suffice for now!

Rhubarb Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
Adapted from Kitchen Konfidence and Martha Stewart

For the stewed rhubarb:
3 cups fresh rhubarb, ends trimmed and diced
1 cup water
3 tbsp. sugar

For the cupcakes:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/3 cup milk

In a medium saucepan, combine rhubarb, water, and 3 tbsp. sugar over medium heat. Stew, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb starts to soften and breakdown, and the mixture starts to boil, about 7-8 minutes. Pour the mixture into a clean bowl with a fine mesh strainer or small colander. Discard of the rhubarb juice in the bowl, and transfer the stewed rhubarb into the bowl that previously held the juice. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 and line a 12-well cupcake pan with liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and ginger. With the mixer on low, pour in half of the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Then add the milk, followed by the rest of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Gently fold the stewed rhubarb into the batter. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan, about 2/3 full for each cupcake well. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

For the strawberry buttercream:
1/2 cup fresh strawberries*
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place strawberries in a food processor or blender, and blend until completely pureed. Set aside. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Turn mixer to low speed and slowly add the powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add 3 tbsp. of the strawberry puree and the vanilla, beating until combined, but be careful not to over mix to avoid the mixture becoming to airy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

*You could use frozen strawberries that have been thawed, but fresh are best in my opinion.

Home Stretch

All of a sudden November has come and gone, along with Thanksgiving and my sanity.

I think people are starting to get annoyed with me because every other thing I say is, "I can't believe it's almost December!"

Okay so duh it's almost December can I give it a rest already?

But seriously, I graduate from COLLEGE (what the) in 2 and 1/2 weeks and I can't wrap my head around it. Even though I never really checked into school (that's a lie, sort of), I found myself checking out of this semester back in October and now I can't believe that I'm actually still alive.

I'm pleasantly surprised with how quickly this semester has gone (catch me on a bad day and I'll say the exact opposite). Between traveling across the country four times and school and work, there have only been a few select moments where I've had time to sit and cry and pout about this frustrating and sometimes lonely situation I'm in. 

Can we talk about this end of semester thing for just one more second? I know that I'm not the only one graduating from college and that it's not that uncommon of a thing... But when does a person go from being an unruly, teenage, high school grad to a functioning, adult member of society? How am I supposed to go from a college student who takes naps in between classes to an adult with an 8-5 job and a credit card bill? I guess it's supposed to be a gradual transition and I'm sure looking back I'll see that it was, but I sometimes feel like life moves at warp-speed and it's all one huge adjustment from one phase to another. These past few years have been so routine-less that I'm starting to think that our mini life-routines are one big hoax. There's no such thing as staying the same.

And that just turned into one huge random rant of a paragraph and I'm done now so sorry about that. 

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving day at home with Chin and my family. It was, of course and as always, the best week of my life being able to be with Christian and spend some quality time with him. It also happened to be unbelievably busy getting ready for the holidays and getting ready to move into our new place in December (!).

 

 

Can you blame me for not wanting to have to keep saying goodbye to this?

Pomp & Circumstance

This weekend, Chin's family came into town to celebrate the end of his college career. We both felt like graduation snuck up on us, like we had no time to recuperate from finals before all of a sudden he became a BYU alum. Graduation ended up being everything Chin hoped it would be. Even though we're still unsure about what our future holds, graduation gave closure to Chin's four short years at BYU. It was a big finale to the end of a small chapter of his life. 

As I've been reflecting on this past weekend's graduation events, I've thought a lot about how fast these few short years have gone by. Next December I'll have graduated as well, in a short 3 & 1/2 years. It feels like just yesterday I graduated from high school. I was a naive and immature 18 year old, who had absolutely no idea how quickly life can change and how big the world really is.

Anyways, I've said it once and I'll say it again. I'm so proud of Christian. I know that this past year was his hardest yet in terms of uncertainty and the amount that he had to push himself in several areas of his life.

But I'm proud of him for sticking through rigorous classes and several disappointments along the way.

Just some of the shots from this weekend:

Chin's younger brother (who is also 6'8" but only 17... where do they get all this height from?!) missed a few days of high school to come join in on the fun

 

 Chin's parents. I have the best in-laws I could ask for!

One of the nights we headed to Shoots, a Chinese restaurant in the Riverwoods. We had never been there but heard great things. We weren't disappointed. We went with Chin's parents and my sisters and their husbands. I was so happy that they could celebrate with us. The only thing they lacked were waiters with photography skills...

 

The grad

On Friday we seriously ate out every meal and I wanted to die. Not really but I felt like I might because I've never been so full. We celebrated with Chin's side of the family at Market Street Grill, one of the Pingree family favorites.

And on a semi-related note, Saturday we celebrated with our friends Ali and Aaron (as if we hadn't done enough celebrating already). We headed to Ruby River for yet another dinner out. And even though we took pictures as couples, I'm really obsessed with Ali so I put this one on here instead. Love you Al Pal.

Pretty blooms outside the Marriott Center

Did I mention we celebrated a lot? Oh wait did I mention I'm proud of Chin?

Kay I'm done. 

Graduating

This week, that guy I live with graduates. That guy called Chin.

And let me just say a few words about this kid, and hopefully I won't melt from being a big fat pile of sap.

In all my whole life, I have never met a student like this one.

Having been married for almost two years, and being students the entire time, I've had the opportunity to watch Chin grow and progress during his final two years at BYU.

I've watched him make countless good grades in all of his classes, never allowing anything but the best to be acceptable.

I've watched him slave over final exams, organic chemistry tests, and biology questions that look like a different language.

I've watched him work tirelessly, for months on end, as he studied and prepared to take the MCAT.

And all the while watched become an increasingly wonderful husband, friend, and person.

There aren't enough words in a dictionary to explain how proud I am of Christian for working so hard, graduating at the top of his class, and being the best man I know. Love you.

  

 And come Thursday, once he's really, truly, a full-blown college grad, I think we'll both be acting like crazy people. Maybe even resembling madness such as this: