Mini Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

I have never made a lemon meringue pie.  I thought I'd give it a try last weekend at the request of my brother.  But we had a lot of people coming over for a barbecue.  It's not easy to serve a lemon meringue pie, and I didn't think one pie would be enough for that many people.

Cupcakes?  Self serve.  Mini cupcakes?  The perfect sized bite.

Mini Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
from How Does She?

Adjustments I made from the original recipe:

• I did not use cupcake liners.  There weren't any mini ones at the grocery store, and I really don't like to use excess paper products.  I borrowed a seriously non-stick mini cupcake pan from my mom and they popped right out, no problem.  
• I did not use a food processor to pulse the lemon peel and sugar together.  Instead I zested the lemons completely and just mixed it with the sugar.  The filling turned out just fine this way.  
• I only baked the cupcakes for 15 minutes.  My oven is always quicker than what recipes say.  Check on your cupcakes after 10 and 15 minutes to see if they are done.  
• I put holes in the center of the cupcakes after they cooled to pipe in the lemon filling.  To do this I used the long end of one of those pour tops they put on liquor (or olive oil) bottles.  It's the best option I had.  
• If you choose to put your finished cupcakes under the broiler, do not leave the oven and check every 30 seconds to avoid burning the tops.  I left mine in for one minute and any longer would have been too much.  

Stepping Away

The blog has been pretty quiet since the beginning of 2013 and here's my attempt to try and explain why:

1. My priorities need rerouting- This year has been a tough one.  My schedule and focus changes every 6 weeks as I change rotations.  A little part of me gets knocked down every Sunday when I have to drive away from my boyfriend or put a mug of coffee in his hand and wave goodbye as he drives off.  Those two things, though the most important parts of my life, have put more stress on me than I would have imagined.  I can't change where we live, and I can't change the medical school curriculum, but I can simplify other parts of my life, including the planning and time that goes into the parts of this blog.

Costa Rica, Sunset

2. I am rethinking how much information I'd like out there about myself- Watching the news surrounding Boston has opened my eyes to how much information can be gained about a person just from looking at their various social media profiles.  I've made snarky, sarcastic comments about how pointless it is for people to update so often on Facebook, or post every thought and feeling that pops into their mind on Twitter for the world to see, but sometimes I find myself doing these exact things that I complain about.  Going forward I want to ask myself each time I formulate an update "Does this serve a real social purpose?" including sharing stories or personal information on the blog.

Summit Lake

3. I need less screen time- Waiting in line?  Check Facebook.  Bored at work?  Browse Pinterest.  Friend went to the bathroom while you're at lunch?  See if there's anything new on Instagram.  Yes, that is me, more often than I'd like to admit.  Part of the whole simplify-parts-of-my-life goal is to also detach from the social media apps on my phone and computer, because if the screen is in front of my face I'm usually doing something non-productive too frequently for my liking.

Outer Banks, NC

4. The vision is on hold- I started the blog to share veggie recipes, discuss food ecology, and point out where and how I was getting locally sourced food.  There hasn't been a whole lot of time to blog and even less time to seek out local food at this point in my life.  I have found myself shying away from those goals just to get some kind of recipe on the page to keep up with it, forgoing the original purpose of The Veggie Doc.

Ellacoya Beach, NH

It might sound like I'm being really critical of myself or making excuses, but if I've gained any wisdom (outside of medicine) from medical school, it's that stepping back and taking time for yourself is really important to be able to do.  I want to simplify life a little bit right now, before I get tremendously overwhelmed.  The Veggie Doc isn't over; I'm just stepping away for a while.  When I have the chance to reconnect with the locavore world and cook the way I want to, I'll pick right back up.

Until then!

Jersey Shore

It was only until this last photo that I realized all of my favorite, peaceful places are on the water.

"The waves of the sea help me get back to me."