It's Cherry Time!

I was just asking my mom, who still lives in the Sierra Foothills where I grew up, when I could plan a trip around cherry season.  As happens in small towns, the doctor who delivered me also owns a you-pick cherry orchard where my mom and I used to go pick bags of cherries each year.  It's pretty *Norman Rockwell where I grew up.
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*Actually, Thomas Kincaid lives in my hometown, and so I guess it's pretty Thomas Kincaid.  There's lots of light to paint...

Anyway, as soon as I asked my mom, there were cherries in the store the next day.  So I guess NOW is cherry season (at the time of writing, obviously, not if you are reading this in December).  I have wanted a cherry pitter for a while, but always put it off, because mostly I just eat the cherries and spit out the pits.  Last year, I finally got one, though, and I'm so glad I did!  This week I've been eating cherries in my oatmeal, cherries in my salad, and even cherry cupcakes (recipe below).  

The cherry pitter I got works fine, but it was a grocery store impulse buy, so I thought for the special occasion of cherry season, I would share some of the cuter/more elegant cherry pitters I found online so that you can buy them (click on picture for link) and I can live vicariously through you.  If you get one, tell me in the comments!

Look at this cutie patootie!  I'm not sure how hard you would have to press down with your thumb, though.  So I like the idea and look, but I'm  not sure how functional it would be.

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Here's the one I have, and I honestly really like it.  The trigger (what would you call it) is easy to pull and I can do lots without cramping or anything.  I haven't had any mishaps with it, and the pit has come out each time.  

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Check out this multi-cherry pitter.  I love that this catches the pits even more than the multi-cherry function!  I end up pitting into a bowl and then use another bowl for the cherries, so given the space for a bigger gadget, this is a great choice, looks like.

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Okay, so this is big, BUT it has great reviews and if you are going to be using a lot of cherries, I can see this being worth the space it takes up.  Again, I love that it collects the pits for you, and that it will just drop the cherries into your collection bowl.  Mmmm... Now I want cherry pie...

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

In case you didn't know, a can of soda (or sparkling water) can be used in place of the liquid and oil you would add to a box cake mix, so that's the basis for this recipe.

• 1 box vanilla cake mix (for me, it has to beImmaculate Baking Co.)
• 1 can sparking water of choice (I used La Croix Berry)
• about 1 cup pitted and quartered cherries
• 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips (I always go for the Enjoy Life ones)

Preheat oven to 350 and put 18 cupcake liners in cupcake pans.  Mix all ingredients together and place in cupcake liners.  Bake 22-28 minutes until springy to the touch.  Let cool a little before eating or the liner will stick to the cupcake.