“Be the type of person that when your feet touch the floor in the morning the Devil says, “Aww shit…

There are people in life that go above and beyond. Without them, things would fall apart, and often we don’t realize this until they are gone; every group, whether a group of friends, a family or an office, has this one person. This person is more than the glue; they are the foundation on which that group stands. The stronger the foundation, the stronger the structure, and the same goes for the person/people that hold up others. This is no different in my office. While each person brings a unique quality to the office, there is one individual that is always going above and beyond, and it is because of him that our office can stand so proudly. Michael Angellotti, has a long name that is difficult to fit on a scrabble board, but beyond that, he is the backbone of our little program here in Iwakuni. Now, so as not to offend anyone else, we would continue to run without him, but we would be less for it. Mike is a doer. He sees something that needs to be done and he does it, and then later he tells us what he did and we go on with our day. Often, it isn’t until you have to use something that Mike fixed that you realize what his initiative did to make your job easier. Mike has taken on a lot of menial tasks since I arrived in Iwakuni, and as a whole you can see how these tasks are improving the structure of our program. Mike does those things that no one else wants to do, because someone has to do them. He doesn’t complain, or even appear to need to be asked, he just does it. The world needs people like Mike, who take initiative to improve the quality of their workplace, and the world in general. Individuals like Mike will raise strong children that will change the world. Mike’s son, is adorable, and probably one of my favorite two year olds, but he is adorable because his parents put their time into the person he is becoming. Mike takes an active interest in improving the quality of services he provides for the children he works with. You can see it in the time he spends making sure things are just right. We recently got new therapy rooms at the school, and Mike spent a lot of time and effort setting up every little detail. He puts thought into his services, and he goes above and beyond what is required. While it may not seem like much, for anyone that has ever provided services, you know that the therapist that takes time to make activities, who spends their time coming up with creative ways to make therapy engaging, this person is a person who will make real changes. Mike is one of these people, and it is because of this that our little EDIS program is better for having him. Mike is now a CERTIFIED occupational therapy assistant (COTA), and if you live in NY he will probably be a State trooper in a few years, so watch out and slow down! In honor of passing the test, I made special COTA cupcakes/cake. I would like to also say that I put some thought into the preparation of this recipe and instead of using a stand mixer, I mixed the batter by hand, which was painful and not very pleasant. Mike has also been helping…or torturing me…with some occupation therapy ideas on how to strengthen my weak hands, so I didn’t cheat when making these cupcakes. Also, so others can feel my pain, I brought the unfrosted cupcakes to work, with three different frosting options for all to practice their fine motor skills. Today’s recipe is a lavender cupcake with lemon/honey buttercream frosting. This recipe goes above and beyond my normal sense of security with flavors, but hopefully it pays off. COTA cupcakes *mix by hand to work on hand strength* ½ cup butter-melted 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 4 eggs 1 cup milk 2 tsps lemon extract 1 tbsps dried lavender (if using extract uses only 2 tsps) 2 ½ tsps. Baking powder 2 ½ cups flour *As this is mixed by hand, make sure to melt the butter. *Cream the butter and sugar, mix well. *Add in eggs (eggs at room temperature crack better). *Mix in milk and extract *Add in baking powder and flour. *Fold in lavender. *Bake at 350 F/175 C for 30-35 minutes (cake), 20-25 minutes (cupcakes) Lemon/Honey Buttercream 1 cup butter-soft *this should not be microwaved; you do not want it melted, just really soft. 4 cups confectioner’s sugar 2 tsps lemon extract *Don’t use lemon juice; the acidity makes the butter nasty! 1/3 cup honey *Use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. *Cream the butter, extract and honey together until well mixed. *Add in the confectioner’s sugar ½ cup at a time, allowing it to mix well before continuing. *Baker’s notes: You may be a little frightened with the idea of adding lavender to your cake, that is understandable, but be adventurous and take a risk. I’m not saying you are going to love this, because I am not on speaking terms with your taste buds, what I am saying is that you may love it! Also, your house will smell like lavender while this bakes, and for about 24 hours afterwards, so you will love that! The buttercream, on the other hand, you will love. I am sure of this without having ever spoken to your taste buds. For the baking part, I used small individual cake pans that bake like cupcakes. Make sure to grease and flour the pans so that the cake comes away easily. Remember, when making butter cream, always pull the butter out hours before you start so it can get to the right consistency and temperature without the need of mechanical intervention. Being prepared to make butter cream will make your life easier and your taste buds happier. Be brave and give this recipe a try!