Adventures in Chicago: Cupcake Heaven

My one-day weekend has finally arrived! [Insert huge sigh of relief.] The last couple nights of rehearsals have been quite good - I've felt strong (finally), I'm getting moves down that were quite daunting at first (finally), and I'm starting to actually perform rather than frantically trying to remember what move comes next (finally!).

Today was different, though... the day felt so long and I was so tired. I just wanted to lay down on the studio floor and zonk out. I don't know if I didn't eat enough today or sleep well last night or if it's because Aunt Flo is due to arrive early next week [insert huge glare], and really it's probably all of the above. I just had zero get-up-and-go today. And that made class and rehearsal HARD.

But I did it, and the last run-through we did in rehearsal was our best yet, so obviously I found some kind of magical burst of energy somewhere deep down to make it through. Maybe it helped knowing that I had a little reward waiting for me after rehearsal - a cupcake!

Yes, yes, I know that sounds lame. But if you've never had a gourmet cupcake, you need to hunt down the closest cupcakery and indulge yourself.

I'm all about these little cupcakeries that are all the rage right now. Seriously. A gourmet cupcake is all a girl needs sometimes. One of the other dancers mentioned this place called Molly's Cupcakes in the neighborhood she's staying in, so she and I made a cupcake date for tonight since we were getting out of rehearsal early (as in 10:00 pm, which is hella early!). She's raved how amazing these cupcakes are, tantalizing me with flavors like chocolate raspberry with fresh raspberry filling, chocolate buttercream frosting and fresh raspberries on top. I had my heart set on my fave, red velvet with cream cheese frosting. I've been thinking about it for days now...

We get there, and something more exotic in the display case distracts me from the red velvet standard - a white cupcake with blueberry and raspberry puree filling, topped with blueberry buttercream frosting, topped with fresh blueberries and raspberries. And let me tell you what, it was ecstatic from the first bite to the last lick of my fork. It was the best cupcake of my life! The cake was moist, the berries were fresh and the frosting was PERFECT. Frosting is what makes or breaks a cake, in my opinion. I know I'm a sugar monger, but frosting that is too heavy and sugary is gross. And sadly, even though I do love the cupcakery at home, their frosting is not the best. In fact, I'll admit that most of the time I'm disappointed by it and think it's just too much. But the frosting on the cupcake from Molly's was ON POINT. It was the most perfect buttercream frosting I've ever tasted - light, creamy, smooth, almost like fresh homemade whipped cream, flavored with real berries. It was heaven on a cupcake.


{THAT, my friends, was my little cupcake of goodness this evening}

I will visit again for another indulgence before I leave Chicago.

And I'm very happy to report that I have social plans tomorrow! I refuse to spend another day holed up in the apartment like a zombie. I have one week left in Chi-town. Yes, I'll probably be sore and tired, but I'll just pop some ibuprofen and down the coffee and be on my way. I will go to the studio for a short time to make phone calls to sell tickets for our show next weekend. I'm going to (hopefully) take a boat tour of the city coastline on Lake Michigan, and if it works out, I might head to my friend's apartment (the same gal who introduced me to Molly's Cupcakes) and we will cook us some dinner. I see a glass of much-wanted wine in my immediate future...

Happy weekend!