The Sweet Finale to the Weight Stigma Blog Carnival

After 3 months of the 3-part Weight Stigma Blog Carnival, the end is here. And I’m stumped. Affected by writer’s block. And late!

The third installation was scheduled for Wednesday, September 28, but before I realized what was happening the day had come and gone.

Follow that with Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year from sundown on the 28th to sundown on the 29th, and I’m not a full 2 days late. My apologies to everyone who was eagerly awaiting this post, checking back hourly to see if I’d created it yet. I’m sure many of your were sorely disappointed when I failed to post on time (assuming you noticed, that is).

The third and final Weight Stigma Blog Carnival question is was: “How is weight stigma (in culture) a form of abuse that can lead to trauma and/or possibly to eating disorders?”

Well, I think I answered this question pretty well in POST #2 as I studied magazine articles, book titles, and shared my own negative feelings toward them. Remember those adorable cupcake and muffin cartoons that allowed me to tie-in my love of baking with my hopes of contributing to social change?

How about now?

Ribbon Birthday Cake — Four Layers and Flavors, One Cake

For my mom's 18th birthday, my aunt and uncle baked her this aesthetically pleasing and tastebud stimulating Ribbon Birthday Cake. This was years ago, and the recipe has been preserved on a piece of notebook paper in a binder. 

For my cousin's birthday this weekend, I thought it would be fun to replicate the cake.

Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, Banana Rum Cupcakes For Me ... GO BLUE!

Once again, it's game day Saturday and I want to share some memories and a recipe that has to do with Michigan Football. While neither Maize nor Blue, these Banana Rum Cupcakes with Rum Buttercream Frosting brought back some of the happiest memories from a game last year.

Candied Orange Peels Dipped in Chocolate

When I arrived to my aunt's house earlier this week carting a tupperware container of these Candied Orange Peels Dipped in Chocolate, she asked if I was channeling my Grandma Margaret. Apparently this simple treat was a favorite of hers, and for good reason - yum!

Maize and Blue Parfaits

Hail to the Victors Valiant...

Pizza Pie Goodbye (and Frosting)

Less than one month ago, I was enjoying my final days in Ann Arbor with my friends and packing up to leave. Now once again I find myself packing up my things and rushing to do all of those last minute things: haircut, doctor's appointments, etc. 

And naturally, I'm baking several things in the final days before my big move. Today I spent several hours making my kitchen citrus-scented, but because nothing is ready to eat yet, I want to share my final creations from Ann Arbor instead.

I made this pizza for dinner with my roommate on our last Friday night in town. We shared it on the porch (best place in the house!)

Childhood Memories Sweeten the Transition into Adulthood

First things first: If you like butterscotch, buttercream, and/or cream soda, this post holds the recipe for you! Read on!...

BLUE Velvet Cake Swirled with Colored White Cake - Go BLUE

Six hours of baking, 50 cupcakes, and oh so much food coloring later, I managed to create two-cake cupcakes. BLUE Velvet Cake Swirled with Colored White Cake. Happy Football Saturday everybody!

Cheering on Michigan from the Beach

Today is the first Michigan football game of the season, and I’m not there. Instead I’m at my Aunt and Uncle’s beach house on Cape Cod with my family, cooking meals with my cousins and thinking of all the memories that I associate with this house. 

I remember building cabins in the upstairs living room out of Lincoln Logs with my cousins.

That little one in the center is me!

I remember a house full of cousins and a dining room table overflowing with fresh fruit and nuts to snack on all day long.

I remember walking along the beach and collecting hermit crabs, bringing them back to the house in a bucket, and then discovering them all dead in their bucket the next day — what’d I do wrong?

The last time I visited the Cape, I dragged my friend out to my favorite childhood location — the Harwich Trampoline Center. Never too old for trampolines!

Today I’m remembering all of my favorite things about Cape Cod, because if I start remembering my favorite things about Michigan Football Season, it will make me too sad.

The season is just getting started though and I will definitely be thinking (and baking) in terms of Michigan often from here on out.

I made football cupcakes once before for this past year’s Super Bowl. How creative will my baking become this football season? Keep checking back to find out!

GO BLUE!