Happy Koi Mother's Day

My son came home from school one day saying that a kid from school checked out a recipe book. He acted put out, like he was jealous. And I said, "Hey, no problem! We can do that. Check out any recipe book you like and we'll make it!" Because I like to cook, right? And I'm pretty sure I can handle anything a first grader brings home.

So imagine my shock and dismay when he brings home a cupcake decorating book.

Let me make three things clear about myself: 1) I don't decorate food. I find beauty in its unrefined appearance. 2) I don't do cupcakes. If people ask for them in my bakery, I refer them elsewhere. 3) I hate decorating. I'm impatient and too hurried to do something neat like that.

Total groan for me. But I promised. So today, as a Mother's Day gift (huh?), I helped him make his koi cupcake pond.

I did promise to share with you both my successes and failures.

The first step was easy. We baked cupcakes (from a box). Then we iced them (from a can).

That's where it quit being easy. We spent the next half an hour cutting up circus peanuts to make the fish. (Who actually buys those, anyway? We probably are the only people to buy a bag this year.) My son tried to claim fear of the knife and turn it over to me, but I wasn't buying it.

Next we iced on the mouth and eyes. This was supposed to be done with white icing piped out of a bag, but yeah, I'm not much for doing things that take time. So we dipped the mouths and eyes in the blue icing and attached them.

End result? Some interesting-looking cupcakes that are bound to taste horrible, a little boy who says that was much harder than he thought, and a sore back. But hey! It was fun!

No one except my child could get me to decorate cupcakes.

Tastefully,

Tamara