Kubrick and Cupcakes

Well, the Stanley Kubrick documentary, A Life in Pictures, was excellent. It's a bit older, 2001. Tom Cruise narrates it. I really learned a lot about his process. What a perfectionist he was. It was almost stifling. He didn't make many films, but the ones he made were so...well, honestly, over my head. I can understand them more now that 36, but as a teen trying to figure them out was nearly impossible. I found the most interesting fact was that he struggled so long with how to portray the Holocaust that he missed his chance. Once he was ready to work on the script, he learned of Spielberg's filming of Schindler's List. He then started work on Eyes Wide Shut--after being out of the game for over ten years. If you have any interest in Kubrick or film, you should get it. The next film in my que is Hearts of Darkness about the making of Apocalypse Now. I guess it was quite the undertaking and nearly killed Martin Sheen. Here's the list of films Kubrick directed:

1953	Fear and Desire
1955	Killer's Kiss
1956	The Killing
1957	Paths of Glory
1960	Spartacus
1962	Lolita
1964	Dr. Strangelove
1968	2001: A Space Odyssey
1971	A Clockwork Orange
1975	Barry Lyndon
1980	The Shining
1987	Full Metal Jacket
1999	Eyes Wide Shut

I feel that I can almost create my own film class by Netflix. I love it. My film classes in college were my favorite. They could films that you just couldn't get then. Now you can. Plus, there are so many educational DVDs out there on film...why not just learn at home? I find it very cool.

Today is my bake/cook day. I cooked up some chicken for an awesome chicken salad, made potato salad (my grandma's recipe) and will bake black bottom cupcakes tonight. I will go weeks without making a thing...then will go nuts and start digging in my recipe book. I find it very therapeutic.

I'm taking Z to the doctor again for a bite. I can't tell if it's a mosquito bite or a boil. Her reaction to it is bizarre. Poor thing. It's really hard under the skin and is killing her. I hate it. She's still smiling at me right now, but if you go near her bite she loses it.



Here is the Black Bottom cupcake recipe. I grew up on these and they are DELISH!!

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin tins with paper cups or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt until light and fluffy. Stir in the chocolate chips and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center and add the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir together until well blended. Fill muffin tins 1/3 full with the batter and top with a dollop of the cream cheese mixture.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.