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.

So 22

I turned 22 yesterday. And ohhh what an age 22 is. I'd like to say it's the perfect age. You're still young and spry, but at the same time, you've passed that awkward bump that's 21 and are no longer considered "barely an adult." You have one whole year of adulthood under your belt and you've learned a thing or two since then. You're willing to take on more responsibility, and you're no longer "just another college girl." You're a functioning member of society with the ups and downs that comes along with that. So I'm happy to be 22. I liked being 21 too; the thrill of finally reaching adulthood and the sense of accomplishment that came with that, that was nice. But for me 21 was a growth period. I slumped and bumped along for half of that year, and then decided to make some changes to better myself. Now I'm 22 and the ball is rolling and I'm fresh and clean and it's just one more step in this progression. And I'm pretty happy about it. I won't be 22 forever, so I guess I'll enjoy it while I can.

 

Yesterday ended up being pretty low key. I've been on my sick death bed all week, so after a short (and pretty pathetic) attempt at picking up my exercise routine in the morning, I headed to Med School Wive's Club that my mother (usually it's just us med wives, but we were graced with the prescence of my mother, grandma, and a few family friends) offered to host for my birthday. I was blown away and honored that my mom went to so much trouble to make our luncheon special for me yesterday. She thought of basically everything and the table was a beautiful sea of pink and gold, my two favorite colors of all time. You're never too old for pink, right? She made, well, pretty much everything. You see it, name it, she made it. 

Homemade pom pom toppers on top of Wegmans cupcakes (I died).

 

I loved the little touches like the gold jungle animals (dollar toy stores she spray painted) and succulents for each girl, planted in a hand-painted tea cup.

(Photo below courtesy of Xan Craven)

My mother and I both share a love for decorating with Chinese takeout boxes, these were the perfect pink! I also loved the little Hors D'Oeuvres table!

My pictures, as always, don't do the table justice. I love the polka-dotted burlap runner my mother sewed, as well as the hand-dipped vase filled to the brim with Trader Joe's florals.

 

CUPCAKES.

  

 Chin and his buddies got out of class early yesterday, and since all their wives were over for the luncheon, they surprised us by popping in and studying at my parents' house for a few hours while we partied. Bless them.

So grateful for my friends and family (near and far) who made my day special. 'Specially love my Mama and the Wives Club (missing you Liz!), and Ali Kirk because I'm obsessed with her. 

My Grandma made it to the luncheon to give me kisses and tell embarrassing stories about me which I don't mind one bit. She's the best lady out there.

 

I took Lady to the vet for a checkup in the late afternoon, got a nap in (!), and then Chin and I went to dinner at Good Luck. I'd been wanting to try it for a while and we decided to go and were so happy about it. It's a Farm-to-Table restaurant where every thing they serve is made to scratch in house (so so fresh). They serve it to you family style, and slowly bring you out each course one at a time so you can enjoy everything on its own. Chin and I ended up sharing a Bibb Lettuce Salad with Pepperoncini Vinaigrette, the Good Luck Burger (a huge burger topped with McAdam cheddar, fresh slaw, and hand-cut fries), and chocolate cake with homemade ice cream. Our dinner ended up being 3 hours long, between long talks in between courses, lots of eating, and conversations with people around us. 

I'm grateful to Chin for getting me Lady as my birthday present this year, she's a gem (obvi since she's the CUTEST) and I love her to pieces. My birthday gift to myself? Losing 43 pounds and feeling so much healthier this birthday than last. You might not be able to tell a difference, but I think I look a lot different this birthday than last, and I'm pretty happy about it.

 

I'm like, SO 22 right now.

Updates on All the Things

I'm not really sure where to begin here I guess. These past couple of weeks have honestly been some of the craziest, busiest, hardest, happiest weeks of my life. It feels weird to feel so many emotions all at one time, and it's left me exhausted and ragged. 

Since the last time I posted, I graduated from college (!), packed up everything else I possess (that wasn't already packed away), said goodbye to all my friends and sisters and family in Utah, moved across the country for good, reunited with Chin, and started moving into our house and painting. 

I think all the excitement has been too much for me, because I'm writing this post with a sniffly nose, headache, and a big mug of chamomile tea. 

Saying goodbye to Utah was a lot harder than expected. I cried A LOT, and listened to a lot of John Mayer ballads. I spent a lot of time going from house to house saying goodbye to some of my favorite people on this earth. It's just heart-wrenching to not know when you'll see someone again. It's not like you're not still best friends, it's just that distance is hard for soul. 

Regardless, being back with Chin is the best Christmas gift I could ask for, and I've been keeping so busy that the hurt I feel from missing my loved ones in Utah is being masked by running to job interviews and lathering paint rollers in Benjamin Moore. 

I was a bad documenter (is that a word?) and used my iPhone instead of my camera to record what's happened in the last little bit, so here are some shots of life lately via instagram and iPhone pics.

1. Let it snow! We had a few days of heaping piles of snow in Utah right before I left. I loved it and think God gave me one final gift of snowy mountains before I moved.

2. This was my capstone group for the semester. We spent a lot of quality time together and I love them. These kids are the salt of the earth right here.

3. Saying goodbye to AlPal was excruciating. We went out with a bang by watching Where the Light Is and eating costa vida, followed by me crying and Ali thinking I'm insane because I cry all the time over everything so that's good.

4. One last shot of the Brimhall building, where I basically spent every day in college.

5. My love triangle and first real friends at BYU. Kir and Liza got me through just about everything these past 3.5 years and I can't wait for what our future friendship holds.

6. Saying goodbye to snowy mountains on a teary/anxious plane ride back to New York.

 

You probably think I'm a freak and you'd probably be right since I was a mess last week. On a brighter note, things have been MUCH happier since being back home with Chin and my fam. 

7. Chin and I in front of our new place. We look cray because we had been moving stuff all day but we love it!

8. My favorite place, like ever.

9. I'm not made to make huge decisions apparently because picking out paint colors for the rooms in our house has been like, the hardest thing ever. 

Here are some "before" pictures of our place. As you will see, we have a LOT of work to do. The house has a lot of natural charm, but hopefully after we're done with it, it'll look like new. 

That couch came with the house, we're getting it reupholstered with some awesome fabric. I'm obsessed with the fireplace (that we can actually use!), the barn ceiling, and the built-ins in our living room! 

Are those curtains not the most awesome things you've ever seen? They'll be the first thing to go when we get to work on the living room. 

This is our master bedroom. It's the first room I wanted to tackle because that awful yellow paint and tacky window valences are going to drive me insane.

This is our sun room. It's actually pretty awesome and is getting new tile put in over Christmas. It used to have this disgusting plush green carpet. Hallelujiah for tile.

This is the dining room. We're taking down the wallpaper and painting it light grey, and hoping that I can scratch that tacky floral print out of my eyeballs.

Ohhhhh the kitchen. It's by far having the most work done to it. The linoleum floor is being replaced with tile, the countertops are being replaced with granite ones, and we're getting a new sink and some more cabinets. We're hoping it will look brand new when it's all done!

Some progress: I started painting the master bedroom today. It looks blue here but it's actually a darker grey that I'm still adjusting to. Luckily anything is better than yellow. I didn't picture our other 2 bedrooms or bathroom, but they basically look the same. Lots of potential. :)

Chin's 24th!

I just want to say first, thanks so much for your kind words and congratulations! We received such a kind response to our big news, and it made this pivotal point in our life that much sweeter. 

 

So now, onto Chin's birthday! Christian turned 24 last Wednesday and it's practically been a party since. 

This past weekend we went out with some friends and fam to celebrate. He of course wanted to go to PF Changs (it's a Ping fam favorite). We had so much fun and it was just a testament of how much I'm going to miss the ones we love here in Utah when we leave. 

Ali and Aaron, we're obsessed with them!

fwendddssss

My sister, Maren, and her little baby, Ally. She's kind of turned into the cutest little girl ever.

This is my other sister, Les, and her baby Cameron. He's a gerber baby from head to toe, and so precious.

My brother-in-law, Mike, with their two older kids. I seriously have the best family!

Devin and Robli! We'll be really sad to leave some of our first friends in Provo.

 

 Happy birthday Chin!

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.