Monthly Archives: February 2010

Here’s The Church…..Here’s the Steeple

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Dearest Boo,  when you were a wee, tiny one you so enjoyed taking things apart, just to see what was inside.  I totally blame this on myself.  I was the one that introduced you to the nursery rhyme, “Here’s the Church”.  I was the one that insisted on teaching you how to do the hand part.  I was the one that showed you by cutting apple slices through the center horizontally will allow the stars to present themselves into a star shape.  I was the one that showed you a sand dollar and how, when you break it open, five little “bird” shells will fall out.  I am to blame on your passion for knowing what is inside.

When you were in grade school there was not one broken electrical appliance that you did not take apart, or at least try, to take apart to see what was inside.  You called them your “experiments”.  The last “experiment” that I remember was coming home to see you sitting calmly on the floor in the middle of our family room.  The entire carpet was covered with parts of a radio.  Perhaps I had a budding Thomas Edison on my hands?  No. You promised me that you would be able to put it back together.  After several days we both could tell that that was not going to happen, so then your promise turned into the statement that you would clean up your mess.  After several days I got a trash bag and threw all the parts, components, wires, whatever into the bag and out to the trash.  I guess I had a budding Oscar the Grouch living with me.

You next moved on to “potions”.  The counters in the kitchen and bathroom would be covered with your messes where you were experimenting on mixing on thing with another.  As a parent I learned to “pick my battles”.  On this one I felt that by my encouraging you to mix up “potions” this would increase your curiosity and joy when you got to high school and took your required chemistry class.  Perhaps I had a budding Madame Curie on my hands?  No.  I guess I had a budding Dr. Bunsen Honeydew living with me.

The good news is that through all your learning I learned to like to know what is inside of things, how is you mix A with B you will get C.  You may be wondering what in the world I am trying to say.  Well, the point of all of this is that I found this awesome idea on one of my favorite blogs (http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2010/02/heart-cake-tutorial.html).  This young mother is just amazing in the projects that come out of her kitchen.

Your Aunt Charlotte’s birthday is today, Valentine’s Day, so I just knew that I had to try this for her.  This took me forever to try it.  And how dumb that was, as it is just a cake.  What is the harm that would come from it if I failed?  One of favorite women once said, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every expierence in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself. ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along'” (Elenor Roosevelt).  It took two tries all on my own, before Amanda had the tutorial on her website showing how she did what she did.  Finally, after two failed tries, we had success and that was only because I found the directions.

Here are the final cake box, the final cake and the second attempt’s “inners”.  Your Aunt Charlotte did call and said that she liked the cake and, without any hints on my part, knew what was inside.  So I am guessing it was a success.  I will have to try this again, just so that I can see the “inners” for my own self.

Here is the box

Too cute, right??

And here is the outside of the actual delivered birthday cake:

Four layers of delicious cake and yummy buttercream frosting.    Topped with strawberry cake crumbs.  Is your mouth watering yet?

And, finally, what you have been waiting for……..the “inners” of Practice Cake 2….

That’s right…………………it’s a heart “inner” cake!  Don’t look too close, as you will see that I clearly don’t know what a heart looks like.  Hopefully, I learned from this one and my actual cake’s heart was more pointed in the center.  I had a delivery service take it to your Aunt Charlotte at her work, just so that she would be surprised and not know who sent her this masterpiece.  But alas, I failed to tell the young man who was doing the delivery to take off the paper with the address as I feared Aunt Char would recognize my handwriting.  And she did……the jig was up.

And speaking of the poor delivery man………..I forced the remaining half of  the cake off onto him.  He must have thought that I was some kind of witch, like from “Hansel and Gretel”, as I was running around the house giving him any leftovers I could find.  The poor man could not get out the door fast enough!  On the plus side, all sweets are cleared out of our home, at least for today.  For directions on how this awesome cake is made please go here http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2010/02/heart-cake-tutorial.html.

Bottom line, on this day of love, what most people need to learn in life is how to love people and use things instead of using people and loving things.  That is what I want you to remember, Boo.  It is not how much you do, but how much Love you put into the doing that matters (Mother Teresa).  This cake was filled with Love that you could see and Love that you could taste.  Joy Rising.

Butterfly Kisses

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Dearest Boo,  I have always loved this song.  It always reminds me of the time that you were little and my beliefs on parenting.  Parenting is the hardest job in the world.  The hours are long, the responsibilities are huge, a 24/7 job with no salary, vacations, or weekends off. There is no sick time off either. It requires a ton of patience, practice and thick skin.  Parents shoulder the responsibilities, put in the time and care, the blood, sweat and tears and hope for the best.  We don’t know until our children are in the mid-twenties if we’ve done a good job or not.  However, the rewards more than surpass the demands.  Bringing up our little treasures is by far one of the most difficult yet pleasurable tasks that there is in life.

As a parent you must respect your child’s mother/father. Even if you are divorced, put the battle-axes down and respect her/him – especially in front of your children. Your children will mimic your behavior both now and later in their adult lives. The way you treat your child’s mother /father will influence the way the child will view his/her role when he/she becomes a parent. Make parenting as much a partnership as possible.

Introduce your spirituality into the lives of your children. This begins, for most, with bedtime prayers and a prayer before meals but it is at its best when it goes beyond those moments and incorporates life lessons. Life lessons are, for example, those times when your child’s team doesn’t win the big game – you should comment upon how winning isn’t everything and that fun, teamwork and participation are the key reasons to compete. Another way would be to talk about life and death in context of God’s love and place for us in Heaven. Living by example is the most meaningful spiritual lesson you’ll ever give to your children.

You never know when you’re making a memory. Some parents miss chances to spend time with their child because they are workaholics or would rather be on the golf course, shopping, etc. Once these chances are gone, they are gone forever and the memory that may have been created, is lost forever. Establish the intimacy of closeness with your children while they are young because it’s next to impossible to do it later in life. Creating memories is the main ingredient for providing meaning to your child’s life.

Both parents are of great influences in a life of their child. They have a strong affect on their child whether they never spend one day with them or whether they are present every day of their lives. A father forever affects his child’s picture of a man and of a provider, while the mother affects her child’s picture of a woman, a nurturer, and a provider. Many little boys grow up and want to be just like their father. Many girls grow up and want to marry someone just like their father.  Many boys grow up to want to marry someone like their mother.  And many girls grow up and want to be just like their mother.

Another way to become a great parent is to verbally affirm and praise your child. A child’s confidence and security can be built up greatly with kind words from a father or mother. Consider the power of your words and the affect that one negative or positive comment can have on your child. For most children it is the negative comments they will remember, so look for ways to cut out negative comments or criticism. Let your child grow up with nothing but praise and loving words from their parent.  There will be times that your child will need to hear criticism from you, their parent.  The goal of proper criticism is to get your message across to your child. That means you have to have a message. If you don’t have an idea you are trying to convey, then all you are doing by criticizing your child is venting your own anger and frustration. You will do nothing positive for your child, and your child will not change his behavior in the future.  Remember, your goal with criticism is to educate, not to punish or embarrass or to seek revenge against the child. When you criticize you must have something you are trying to teach.

Make sure you do it with the understanding that it is the behavior, not the child, that is upsetting.  It has to be clear to your child that it is the behavior that upsets you, not him.  Be a parent not a buddy/friend to your children. Of course, you are a friend to them, but ultimately you are their parent. Children need moral and ethical guidance and instruction from their parents. They don’t need to figure it out alone. This results in disaster.  Encourage your children when they are doing well. Often as parents we see the negative; therefore, we must also make sure to praise them when they do well.

Have fun and show affection. Parenthood is a monumental responsibility but it is also a role in which having fun provides meaningful moments.  Having fun with your child shows them that you enjoy being their parent. They will forever remember this lesson.   Some parents are not naturally inclined to be openly affectionate and they struggle to communicate their love for their children. Hugging children is easy and it is among the most meaningful expressions of love you can give. Hug your kids. And whisper “I love you” as you do. The power of this simple act cannot be over stated.

And I found that the best way to have fun and show affection at the same time was with Butterfly Kisses.  These are so fun and easy to do – and bonus is the amazing look of total joy on your child’s face and their delightful laugh.  A Butterfly Kiss is administered thusly:

1. Get your eyelashes up against your child’s bare skin, so close that when you blink, your eyelashes caress their skin.
2. Open and close your eyes rapidly. Each time your eyelashes brush the other person’s skin, it is one Butterfly Kiss.

Butterfly Kisses can be on their sweet, sweet little cheek or on their roly poly little belly.  Either place you are able to suck in that sweet, sweet baby smell.  Is there anything better than that smell?  What is this smell, you may ask.  No, it’s not the smell of spit up, or dirty diapers, or drool.  It’s a smell that exists right on the outer limits of our perception, indescribable yet real, a sensation we respond to emotionally almost despite ourselves.  It’s a smell that makes you wonder if you should cuddle them or devour them for your next meal.  It is a yummy, delicious smell.  And science tells us that it is real.  In Sweden, a team of scientists has uncovered a distinct new-baby smell that may act as a pheromone to reinforce the sensation that babies are cute and adorable. What’s more, men seem to be more attuned to this smell than women.  Baby Love…………..

These cookies, with the X and O design, are the signs of love.  Hugs and Kisses.  And they are “baby” sized.  Perfect for your own sweet, precious Valentine.  Happy Valentine’s Day, Boo.  Joy Rising!

Hugs  and  Kisses  Cookies

Prep Time:               4 hours (this includes 2 hours chill time in fridge, bake time and decorating time)

Bake Time:               12-14 minutes   at 375 degrees

Source:                      www.thedecoratedcookie.com

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 c powdered sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 1/2 c all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. Cream butter and sugar together in mixer.
  2. Add egg and blend well.
  3. Add extracts and blend.
  4. Mix flour and salt together.  Gradually add to butter/sugar mixture.
  5. Chill dough for about two hours.
  6. Remove from fridge, roll out to about 1/3″ thickness and cut with cookie cutter.
  7. Bake cookies on baking tray until slightly brown on edges.
  8. Cool completely on wire rack.
  9. Make frosting.

This frosting is similar to royal icing, but the Crisco and flavorings make it taste delicious.  It will dry hard enough to handle and pack when left overnight to dry, but not rock hard like traditional royal icing.  To know if it is the correct consistency, take a spoonful and turn it over in the bowl.  The frosting should cling to the spoon and slowly fall back into the bowl.

Frosting

Prep Time:           10-12 minutes

Bake Time:           0 minutes

Source:                 www.thedecoratedcookie.com

Ingredients:

  • 4 T meringue powder (available at many supermarkets and in most craft stores)
  • 1/2 c water
  • 6-7 c powdered sugar (may need more or less depending on humidity)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 c Crisco

Directions:

  1. Place meringue powder and water into mixing bowl and whip on high speed until it’s fluffy and peaks form (may take as long as 10 minutes).
  2. Gradually add the rest of the ingredients to desired consistency.
  3. Tint the frosting, if desired.
  4. Decorate the cookies.

Remaining frosting can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to one month.

The Big Easy

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Dearest Boo,  I will freely admit it – I live in Nebraska, but I am not a football fan.  History shows that when your beloved Huskers play on television and I am watching we suck.  However, if I am not watching we are totally awesome.  When it comes to professional football I just never got into the whole thing.  The only game I would watch from start to finish is the Super Bowl and that is only for the commercials.  I love the Super Bowl commercials, with the Budwieser Clysdales being top of the list.

This year the Betty White/Snickers commercial totally bumped Budweiser from the top of my list!

Betty White is an awesome lady. I have loved her since she played Sue Anne Nivens. She is the best!

The Super Bowl this year was played in Miami with the Indianapolis Colts vs the New Orleans Saints. I liked and admired both quarterbacks before the game, so the game started with no clear favorite for me. As we were eating our dinner we knew that we needed to pick sides, so that we could cheer and jeer. I gave you the Saints, while I took the Colts.

I have never been to Indianapolis, but I have been to New Orleans. What an amazing city! So full of Southern charm, great food, wonderful customs, history, and a great play to practice my all time favorite hobby – people watching. One of it’s nicknames is “The City That Care Forgot”, which refers to the outwardly easy-going, care free nature of many of it’s residents. Whether I was in the Garden District looking at all the amazing architectural homes, or sipping cafe au lait and chowing down on beignets at Cafe du Monde, or taking a ride on the steamboat Natchez down the Mississippi, or hopping on a streetcar to one of the amazingly beautiful cemeteries with their above ground tombs, or taking a stroll down Bourbon Street the people were just so charming to view. They all seemed to be so self-assured, totally okay with their authentic selves and were not all concerned that they were causing people to stare.

New Orleans is also called “The Big Easy” for several reasons. One is that at the turn of last century it was very easy for musicians to find work there. New Orleans is the home of jazz and to see a Jazz Funeral is truly a show of celebrating one’s life, not death. The name also refers to the fact that at one time New Orleans was the cheapest place in America to live. Red beans and rice and their famous Muffuletta sandwiches are proof positive of that fact, even today.

“The Big Easy”, for some reason, reminds me of our Sunday night dinners growing up.  This was the 1950’s and your grandmother had to take care of the home, your grandfather, and eight children with all the expenses and work attached to that all on $85/per week.  Raising one child, you, was amazing and fun, but image raising eight children, all born within an eleven year time span.  Image, never being out of the “diaper/potty training” stage for fourteen years!  And this was before the event of disposable diapers or diaper services in our life.  We had cloth diapers, that when it was just “wet” was one thing, but when they came with a “baby BM” surprise that was a whole other adventure.   Having six younger siblings, some of whom I had the “pleasure” of changing their diapers, improved my gag reflex.

Sunday night was your grandmother’s rest period.  She would make breakfast and lunch, but our evening meal was a no-brainer, easy peasy to get on the table.  Sunday nights we always had pop corn (via Jiffy Pop) and ice cream.  I loved Sunday nights!  For me there was nothing better than a big bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with Hershey’s chocolate syrup and peanuts in their skins.  I would let it melt a bit and then stir everything together, like my very own cold chocolate soup.  Delicious!  I know that this is where my desire to have something simple and easy on Sunday nights to eat.

Imagine my delight to find out that one of the teams competing in the Super Bowl this year, the best sporting night for eating, was from “The Big Easy”!  For me this was a sign from God that we would just have fun snacky type foods for dinner.  It would not be a well balanced meal at all.  Food Pyramid be turned on it’s side………………we were going to have fun, fattening and nothing good for us at all foods.

I know that one of your all time favorite snack, “Beth’s Dip”.  When ever we would eat something at someone’s home that we truly enjoyed, we would ask for the recipe.  If we were so blessed, I would always change the original name to include the name of the person who shared the recipe.  This dip is from the mother of the only children you ever baby-sat.  Baby-sitting was not the top of your list of things to do growing up.  Not only was it not on the top of your list, I am pretty sure it never made it to the Top 100 things you wanted to do.  However, these two boys were pretty special and you did enjoy the few times you baby-sat.

The second snack was one that we made up together.  I love, love, love Little Smokies – not your favorite.  I love, love, love Corn Dogs – not your favorite.  We needed to come up with something that be similar to Corn Dogs, but not a Corn Dog.  Something that had Little Smokies, but have their taste disguised so that it would not taste like a Little Smokie.  Hummm, what to do?  What to do?  Ta-Dah!  We now have “Little Piggies” to add to our snack arsenal.  Joy Rising!

Beth’s  Dip

Prep Time:                     5 minutes

Microwave Time:        3 minutes

Source:                            Beth, mother of Nathan and Ross

Ingredients:

  • 1 can Hormel Chili (you can use with or without beans, Beef or Turkey Chili)
  • 1 8 oz bar Cream Cheese  (you can use low fat or no fat or the totally fat)

Directions:

  1. Place Cream Cheese into microwave safe bowl.
  2. Microwave on high power for 60 seconds.
  3. Add the can of chili.
  4. Microwave on high power for 90 seconds.  If not hot enough, microwave another 30 seconds.

Serve with Tostitos  (plain or flavored)

Little  Piggies

Prep Time:           20 minutes

Bake Time:           20 minutes   at 350 degrees

Source:                  Original Mommy and Boo

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Little Smokies
  • 1 package Won Ton wrappers
  • 4 T Whole Grain Dijon County Style Mustard
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 T water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place water into bowl with beaten egg.  This will be your “egg wash”.

Lay out one won ton wrapper on your counter, turned on it’s side to look like a diamond shape.

Spread small amount of mustard onto the wrapper in the center.

Place one Little Smokie near the bottom “point” of one wrapper, about 1/3 way from the tip.

Brush a thin border of egg wash or water around the edges of the wrapper. This becomes the seal that holds the ingredients inside the Little Piggie.

Bring the point over the Little Smokie. Roll the Piggie one time to enclose the piggie. Fold the sides over the piggie. Roll the Little Piggie shut, and seal the tip with more egg wash or water.

Finish preparing the rest of the Little Piggies.

Place on baking sheet.

Bake 20 minutes, turning over half way through the baking process to allow both sides to brown.

Serve with more mustard or barbecue sauce.