best ATM ever

mother's day brought me some sweet cards, flowers, nail polish, and a fun day at 3rd street promenade in santa monica with my little family.  we strolled, we lunched, we shopped, and had a fabulous time.

on the way home, the teen and i talked the hub into making a quick pitstop.  okay, it wasn't exactly ON the way...but it was way fun.

you've heard of sprinkles cupcakes, right?  their first shop is in beverly hills, and a couple of months ago they announced that they were expanding into the space next door with sprinkles-branded ice cream and...a 24-hour cupcake ATM.  it even sings a cute little sprinkles theme song as you begin your transaction.

it was a little past 8:00, and the line for the machine was about six deep.  crazy, right?  although not as nutty as visits we've made to the bakery in previous years, when we'd have to stand in a line that went out the door and down the street for a tasty treat.  now mind you, i'm not even a huge sprinkles fan, and haven't been ever since my beloved dots cupcakes opened over five years ago.  honestly, out of all the cupcake joints i've tried (and that's a lot, folks), dots is still my very favorite.  but you know how i can't resist a novelty, which is a trait i've passed on to the teen.  i'm pretty sure the bean'll have it too.  time will tell.  but of course, i've gotten off-track.  back to the real story.

look at me, buying our dessert from the ATM!

after you make your selection from the available flavor list, you insert your credit card to pay - a whopping four bucks per cupcake, by the way.  novelty always comes at a price.  geez.  although i found it slightly annoying having to make separate purchases for each cupcake.

next, you watch a live-action shot of your boxed cupcake being plucked from its shelf by a robotic arm.  ooh, so futuristic.

in a dark cavern below the screen, a rotating door slowly opens, revealing your prize.

and then you're one happy camper.  or two.

despite not being a sprinkles lover, i have to admit that their salty caramel flavor is pretty tasty.  the cake is still more dense and dry than i'd like, but the flavor is pretty phenomenal.

i wonder if i can figure out a way to duplicate that at home.  hmmmm.