4th & 5th of July 2014

To kick of SJ's birthday weekend, I started with cake.

I was trying a new recipe, and a new amazingly found bakery style frosting recipe to go with it.

Homemade Vanilla Bean Sprinkle Cake.

4th of July 

We just hung around the house, and I made a potato salad for my aunt's bbq later that day

We headed over to my Aunt's house and ate some really good food ...And Miss Sassy got a little bit spoiled. She scored some more Frozen stuff..she was so excited.

complete with a yummy cake
complete with Frozen candles!

trick sparkler candles.

She was cracking up

this guy...

he was so good.

we even found out that he loves looking at himself (a little vein) ... in my iphone.

I got a few hysterical pics of him

We arrived home & put the little guy to bed. 

And Daddy and Samantha walked to our corner for a beautiful view of the fireworks from the country club by our house. 

When she was fast asleep, I did my usual ritual of surprise birthday balloons outside her door.

I was a little sad. 

I mean, 5 years ago... already?

5 years ago I was laying in the Naval Hospital in North Carolina waiting for our little possible 4th of July baby? I just cannot beleive it. Time is flying.. And my baby girl is growing up into a beautiful young lady. I am so so proud to be her Mama.

The next day, it was time for the finishing touches on her birthday cake.

I topped it off with her little Anna & Elsa dolls of course.

the cake wasnt perfect, but it wasnt supposed to be.

Sam was elated. It was a successful trial run cake for her little friend/family party next weekend.

The true test of the cake was how did it taste?

I had yet to find a cake from scratch recipe that didnt taste dry and stale.

This cake was awesome

So so moist and yummy, and you need only a sliver, it was so rich.

When you love to bake and cook, and finally find an amazing frosting recipe AND cake recipe, you get a little excited.. Im a nerd.. I know. I dont care.

We gave Samantha so many gifts already, But I think this was her favorite.

Meet Carl

He's a very sweet addition to our family and he has adjusted quite well.

Thank goodness.. because we tried 2 dogs now, and that didnt go so well :)

Shortcakes in Mason Jars

I had never made shortcake ...ever. Until today. 

I had fresh cream, and fresh berries. 

I pinterested a bunch of shortcake recipes... and in the end I looked on the back of my Bisquick box and tried that recipe... and it is so so good, and easy. 

Shortcake Recipe

2 1/3 cup bisquick

2/3 cup milk 

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp butter (unsalted) melted.

Mix all ingredients, drop by spoonfuls on parchment.

Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Let cool

Split in half to assemble shortcakes.

I washed a bunch of berries & mason jars.

And made some homemade whipped cream

I used this recipe.

Ahhh. 

It is a very happy fridge shelf indeed. 

I made about 5 different size jars.. and I had leftover shortcakes and froze them.

They are so so delicious..

A good naptime/craft-time snack.

I think I will be making these a lot this summer.

Speculoos Cookie Butter Mousse

Cookie Butter Mousse!

I love Speculoos Cookie Butter from Trader Joe's...

It hasnt complelety replaced peanut butter for me, but its a very very close second.

I recently bought the crunchy version ... mmmmmm 

I tried a new recipe found on .. where else? Pinterest.

 My husband LOOOOOVED it... and so did I! I didnt want a huge pie of the stuff.. Just little small individual dessert cups. So I bought the mini graham cracker crusts which come in a 6 pack. This recipe was just enough for the 6 shells.. with some left over. I saved the aluminum mini pans, and next time Im goig to try and made homemade crust. 

Ingredients:

4oz cream cheese 

1/2 cup trader joes speculoos cookie butter (crunchy or smooth)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tub cool whip - 8oz.

1 tbsp milk or cream

1. With a hand mixer or stand mixer ... combine cookie butter, milk & cream cheese

2. Slowly beat in powdered sugar

I dont know how it happens, but it magically comes all together like this....

4. Fold in the whipped cream. It will look like you are doing something wrong at first, or at least thats what I thought. But keep folding...and folding...

See... its coming together nicely, but it takes some time.

I used a pastry bag, and piped the mousse into the tiny graham shells.

Everything looks prettier piped =)

See?

Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, longer the better. Overnight would be okay.

I had one for breakfast the next morning and it was soooo good. 

And there you have it.. 

Adorable and yummy mousse cups.

Compost Cake for Father's Day

Father's Day 2013

Samantha and Daddy headed to the Carnibal.. a small little town up on Lake Ontario that has a bunch of rides & carnival shops, foods, etc. We took both kids last year around Labor Day... and Samantha and Daddy got to have a little one-on-one time.

I fed Andrew and put him down for his nap. (Hoping for a long one...)

And I got to work on my father's day cake for Daddy.

 

I wanted to do something that he likes .. He loves gardening.. and I was looking for a good garden cake, but most of them I either didn't like, or they looked really really involved.. which I don't have time for these days ...So then we were in Lowe's last week getting some garden supplies and I came across a cupcake book, inside was a "Compost Cake"... and I immediately whipped out my iphone, and snapped a few pics.. Perfect

 

I started with a plain chocolate cake.

I baked 2 cakes (just split the batter up)... in a 6 inch round wilton cake pan.

After they cooled, I cut them up and shaved off about 1/2 inch.. I didnt want the cake to be taller than the pretzels that I would use for my compost "fence"... (keep reading)

 

From there I put one layer on a plate and frosted it with cool whip, and then added some crushed Oreos to what would be the middle layer. 

On went the 2nd layer

 

Repeat frosting the top layer.

I started assembling the "fence" that would hold the compost in, with Rold Gold Honey Wheat Pretzels.

 

After the entire cake was fenced in.. I added some crushed Oreos to the middle to act as the "dirt"

 

Here are the toppings I chose.

Dried Bananas, Gummy Worms, Fruit Slices (trimmed for effect), Green Tinted Coconut Flakes (Lettuce), & a leftover SpongeBob "Crabby Patty" Gummy sandwich.

I just played around and buried the candies until it looked the way I wanted.

I also added some crushed cookies on the outside, and had some worms crawling around.



 

I used some bakers twine to hold the whole thing together, and then made a "Compost" sign 

He cracked up.. and really enjoyed it after our Steak Dinner on the grill

We had a good father's day, and I don't know how I could do the job of Mommy without an amazing partner, friend, and amazing Daddy.

Vanilla Bean Angel Pillows {recipe}



These are very light and flavored with vanilla sugar... so yummy.

I believe I got this recipe from my MIL, and I think she read it in a Taste of Home magazine.

 

Here's what you need:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

1 cup cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup vanilla sugar (make ahead a few weeks)

 

Preheat oven 350 degrees

 

In food processor, combine:

flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, & salt.



Cover and pulse until combined.

Scrape pulp from vanilla bean

and add to the mixture...

 



Then add the cold butter to the mixture

Cover and process several times, until the dough begins to cling.. stopping once to scrape down sides.

Gather mixture into a ball

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.

Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

 

Bake 12 min, or until edges began to brown.

Transfer to rack to cool for about 5 min.

 

Place vanilla sugar in a bowl





 

While cookies are still warm, but NOT hot.. roll gently in the vanilla sugar to coat

Cool again on rack

If you try to roll the cookies when they are still hot...

this is what happens.. crackage.. (is that a word? ha)

The recipe makes about 28.

They are light and fluffy and smothered in sugar and yummy vanilla bean flecks