Cupcake Rant

I came home from Ella and Jamin’s preschool a bit relieved after commiserating with their teacher about how unnecessary store-bought cupcakes can be.  They’re way over-sized, over-loaded with food coloring, over-stacked with frosting, over-priced, and over-rated.  Cupcakes are meant to be a special treat once in awhile.  But when every kid has a special occasion, it seems like every day is a cupcake day.  With preschool and elementary school, the neighborhood kids, church…there are endless special occasions.  Soon the “special” and the “occasional” are gone and cupcakes become standard practice.

This is the rant that started my blog.  On most such occasions I would come home and tell Steve another cupcake story.  He would say, “you should start a blog”.  Finally, I agreed—maybe it would be a good outlet for such rants!

What I learned from Jamin and Ella’s teacher is that cupcakes are also high-maintenance and less appealing to teachers who pass them out all the time.  My solution and one of my favorite investments ever:  a mini-muffin pan!  There are 24 mini muffins per pan—which is plenty to feed a preschool class.  The kids are still excited because it’s a birthday and they get to celebrate (and they’re still only 3 and 4 years old).  Why set the standard at jumbo cupcakes for such little tykes?  I like to let my birthday kid choose which kind of muffin to make (less sugar than cake and still yummy) and let her make them with me—it’s less junk intake for all kids involved, a fraction of the cost, and it’s buy-in by the birthday kid, because she got to help make them (worth the time investment!).

My two other favorite things: Canned whipped cream and sprinkles.  Kids love whipped cream and sprinkles.  Maybe I should try them on their veggies!  They make everything happier.  It works out at our cooperative preschool that I can put the whipped cream and sprinkles on last minute.

I want to take part in the joyous celebration at hand, but it’s hard when I keep thinking about all the junk my kids consume in the name of celebration.    When I watch them get excited about a more intentional, less junky choice, I too can let loose and blow my party horn!  Whoo-hoo!