Nona is ready to bring back the squeezebox

Nona:

Did you go to the big concert at the Lublin Performing Arts Center?

Dancing in Dorchester Dear Dancer:

I had a quilt session on Saturday and wasn’t able to get away, but I heard it was a whizbang of a time. I know Fannie Phartowski was getting her hair done Friday morning, and she was even going to sleep in her husband Phil’s lazy boy so her curls wouldn’t get squished.

I heard it was a heck of a show, though, with those fellows playing those loud guitars. Thelma with the Thinning Hair said she’d give anything to have a head of hair like the lead guitarist! Word is that even the mayor was there with his sweetheart, but that he didn’t even treat her to a dance. Oh well, she knew he had two left feet when she married him.

That music is a little young for me. I don’t go so much for that rock n’ roll stuff. Like my second husband used to say, “If there’s no accordion, there’s no use going.” Sure, a lot of bands quit bringing their accordion player along after that just so he wouldn’t show up their gigs, but Old Number Two made a valid point. It all went to pot when the squeezebox went away. You didn’t hear about polka bands dying from drug overdoses, did you? Sure, they’ve got high cholesterol and a couple of them have to wear those those big glaucoma glasses now, but otherwise they're still fit as. A fiddle.

When they bring back the squeezebox, they'll bring me back to the dance floor!

One of my dearest friends mailed me this recipe, because she knows about my worldfamous snickerdoodle cookies. This is a cupcake with a snickerdoodle twist to it!

Chocolate cupcakes Ingredients 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix 1 cup milk 3 eggs 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening 1 pinch sea salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1` tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 3 cups confectioner’s sugar 1/4 cup milk 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, or more as needed.

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Beat together the chocolate cake mix, 1 cup milk, eggs, 1.2 cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until moist. Beat for 2 more minutes on medium speed.

Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full of batter.

Sprinkle the cupcakes with cinnamon sugar.

Bake in the preheated over until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Cream together 1/2 cup butter and shortening in a bowl until smooth.

Stir in sea salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, cocoa powder, and 3 cups confectioners’ sugar Stir in milk.

Mix in 2 more cups confectioners’ sugar or as needed until desired consistency is achieved.

Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes.

GRANDMA

NONA

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