Category Archives: Baking

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.

Fall Down and Kiss Yo Mama’s Feet Pound Cake

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Dearest Boo,  it is so fun to try out new recipes on you!  Your “Supertaster” Buds are always there to help out when they are needed.  Heck, that kind of makes you sound like some kind of Super Hero and perhaps we should dig out the “She-Ra” costume I made for you one Halloween.

If you’re classified as a supertaster, you tend not to eat fruits and vegetables because they may taste very bitter.  You use this a lot when I try to get you to eat your vegetables, with the only exceptions being potatoes, broccoli and green beans.  However, it must be so noted that to get the broccoli and green beans into you they  must be drowning in cheese sauce.  If you’re an “undertaster,” you may be more prone to eating (and overeating) sweets because it requires more taste to satiate you. Of note, researchers say about 25 percent of us are supertasters and 25 percent are undertasters, while the rest of us are simply regular tasters.

Here is the test that we saw on television one day.  The Blue-Tongue Test: Wipe a swab of blue food dye on your tongue and inspect the small circles of pink-colored tissue that polka dot the newly painted blue tongue.  Then, put a piece of paper — with a 4 mm hole, or the size of a hole punch in three-ring paper — over your tongue.  Use a magnifying glass to count the little pink dots you see in the hole. If you count fewer then five dots, it means you’re an undertaster, while more than 30 indicates you’re probably a supertaster.

Even before we knew you were a “Supertaster” we always knew that you were a “good little eater”.  That phrase always makes us laugh, as it reminds us of our vacations at the Tanque Verde Ranch in Tuscon, Arizona.  They had something for all of us to enjoy.  There was horse back riding and trail riding for you and your father and for me they had the most awesome restaurant.

I was in seventh heaven just pulling out my chair, smelling the fragrant smells wafting from the kitchen, and my mouth would start to salivate in eager anticipation of the delights that would soon be placed in front of me.  Your father and you were always anxious to wolf down your meal and get outside to go on a trail ride in the Saguaro Desert.  Not me!  Your poor father would have to hog-tie me and drag me outside to get on my horse.  I even tried telling him that I tried to tell him that I was in training for some competitive eating contest that would be held at the end of the week and I needed to stretch out my stomach.  Competitive eaters “train” by consuming large amounts prior to the contest.  He refused to buy that argument and I would find myself outdoors, sitting on the back of some poor animal.

I remember one year my “horse of the week” was Leadbelly and his name perfectly suited this poor steed.  He was huge and slow and no matter how much I kicked his belly to get him to move he refused to leave the corral.  We would just be there, me mounted on this horse that was standing stock still.  As if we were posing for some statue.  I worried that at this rate we would never catch up with the rest of the riders and we would be like Moses and the Isrealites wandering in the desert for the next forty-years.  Eventually, he would take off like a herd of turtles.  I would like to point out that lack of speed was not his short-coming once he sensed that we were headed back to the corral.  He would become as happy as a tick on a fat dog and lead the way back home to the ranch.  I swear, he could best any time from any race in the Kentucky Derby.

One morning we got to the corral only to see a strange site.  There was a huge truck in the middle of the corral, with a big wench working on cranking up something.  Ay Yup, there was Leadbelly, flat on his back with all four legs straight up in the air.  I like to think that whenever I hear thunder it’s Leadbelly’s hoof beats in Heaven.  As I recall the wranglers asked that I not ride the rest of our time there!  Oh fine, blame it on the fat lady!

Speaking of “fat”, brings me back to why we say you are a “good little eater”.  One year I was not able to go to the dude ranch with you and your father.  That week he befriended another family who had a son named Danny.  Danny’s mother was tall and thin and could not have weighed more than 120 pounds soaking wet.  That was true of Danny, too.  He weighed 120 pounds, but Danny was only about six years old.

At the corral there was a ramp that you could walk up to the side of the horse.  You would be taller than the horse, so to mount it all you had to do was sit down.  Easy peasy.  However, about halfway way through the ride everyone got to dismount and stretch their legs and enjoy a chuck wagon lunch.  At the end of lunch everyone saddled up to head back to the ranch.  The poor female wrangler was having a dickens of a time trying to get Danny mounted back into his saddle.  She just did not have the strength necessary to lift Danny high enough.  At this point your father took pity on the wrangler and went over to help.  The wrangler was on one side of the horse holding on to Danny’s hands to help pull him up, while your father squated down and placed his hands on Danny’s butt to push him upwards.  This was not an easy task, as for all intents and purposes, at this point Danny was basically dead weight.  They were making pretty good progress, when Danny very loudly demonstrated that he had been “gulping too much air”……….”he had eaten way too many beans for breakfast”……..okay, Danny farted in your father’s face!  I must have the mentality of a ten year old boy, as fart stories still crack me up.

The only thing that farts have to do with this recipe is that farts make me laugh and I laugh with delight when I make something so delicious.  I found this recipe online and knew that I had to try it.  The recipe stated that you would get one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf, but I was able to also fill up a 4 x 2 loaf pan.  After you had one slice from the small loaf you promptly ate the rest and licked the plate.  You then threw yourself down to the floor and started kissing my feet for making this extraordinary treat for you.  Okay, maybe you did not kiss my feet – but you did eat the entire tiny loaf!  This will be added to our list of fun foods to make and give away.  Joy Rising!

Kiss Yo Mama’s Feet Pound Cake

Prep Time:          15 minutes

Bake Time:          60 minutes

Source:                Pichet Ong’s “The Sweet Spot”

Ingredients:

  • 1  1/3 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 c unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 c white sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8  1/2 oz (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 large eggs

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  2. Spray one  8  1/2 x 4  1/2 loaf pan with Pam and set aside  (or you can generously butter instead).
  3. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside (I just use my whisk to “sift” together).
  4. Pour the sugar and vanilla into your mixing bowl until mixed together.
  5. Add the butter and salt, mixing until light and fluffy (about two minutes).
  6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the condensed milk.  Mix together thoroughly.
  7. Add the “sifted” flour/baking powder mixture and the salt.  Mix until blended.
  8. Add the eggs and beat until well blended.
  9. Pour batter into loaf pan (s) and bake until the top is dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  10. Cool completely in the loaf pan on a rack, then unmold.

Delicious just the way it is, or covered with fruit (like a shortcake).

Enjoy!