Rookie mistake.

There are few things that make me happier than my mom's cooking...especially when she volunteers to bring the main course. I had a lovely lunch with her, my step-daddy-o and the boyfriend. We decided to invite the 'rents over for a simple, hearty lunch since we have been recently smacked with freezing temperature. They also brought a lovely poinsettia!


My mom brought a delicious and spicy chili with a hint of cinnamon. Wow. I made my favorite Trader Joe's cornbread muffins with honey and curry as well as pan seared green beans.


For dessert, I decided to try a cupcake recipe from Gourmet.


Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Ganache. Yummy, right? Yes, but there's something missing. They lack height. Umm...what happened?

Then, I suddenly heard my 8th grade home economics teacher scream in my ear, "Check the expiration date on the baking powder, dummy!"

*Slap on the forehead*

Great.

And that's it, ladies and gentlemen. Baking powder that was expired by ONE MONTH from today's date. They still tasted VERY yummy, but were probably slightly denser because of the lack of rise.

That'll teach me a lesson.