Boiling eggs is one of those seemingly simple cooking tasks that has caused me much stress over the years.  Do you put the eggs in and then boil the water, or get the water boiling before adding the eggs? Do you keep the water at a rolling boil? How long do you keep them in the water? For every search I’ve done to answer my questions, I’ve found a different answer.

I’m slowly getting used to the idea that I can use my phone for more than just talking, so it actually occurred to me the other day that perhaps there’s an egg timer application for the iPhone that might help in this area. I had no idea what a revelation I would end up having! I ended up buying “The Perfect Egg Timer” which has definitely lived up to it’s name so far. The instructions were error proof.

After selecting the size of your egg, the starting temperature of the egg, and how hard or soft you want the yolk, you place your egg in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Once the water starts bubbling, you start the timer on the app and it tells you when your egg is ready!

I’ve got it down well enough now that I don’t even need the app anymore, but it was surely a helpful tool for me to use while figuring the whole egg-boiling-thing out!

I know most of you probably have no problem boiling your eggs and have been boiling perfect eggs for years, but if there’s anybody out there with serious egg-boiling problems then this post will have been worth it.  Anybody?

I’ve been dieing to bake up a batch of red velvet cupcakes, so I figured the 4th of July would be the perfect occasion. After all, we’ll just be shuffling around all day, so what better way to bring a little of the festivities to us!  The recipes for the cupcakes and the cream cheese icing came from Pinch My Salt. Previously, the only red velvet cake I had ever eaten was from a box, and these definitely taste different…in a good way. One of the ingredients for the cupcakes was cake flour, which I couldn’t find. However…Joy the Baker happens to offer instructions on how to make one’s own cake flour, so all was not lost!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Independence Day celebration!

We had an understated celebration at the house today, which included small gifts and a hefty banana pudding pie. I can’t wait for the girls to be old enough to understand days like today a little better. My oldest asked if it was Daddy’s birthday. No, it’s not. In fact, in some ways I think it’s even more special than a birthday. I don’t think fathers get much better than my husband, and  I look forward to the day when his daughters can fully appreciate him as such and can tell him so in their own words.  Until then, he’ll have to just take my word for it. Happy Father’s Day, Cory. You’re the best!

• Starburst candy or similar soft candy (I tried Airheads as well,
  but found better luck with the Starburst)
• Tiny heart-shaped cookie/fondant cupper
• Non-stick rolling pin (found in cake decorating section of stores)
• Smooth, clean countertop or non-stick cutting mats

Roll out candy:

cut out heart:

then another:

pinch ends together:

et, voila! You have a butterfly!

Now go back and make a bunch more.

Store these little fellas in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them so that they’re nice and stiff. If left out, they may soften more and start to droop or become misshapen.

Enjoy!