What to eat Wednesday- Chocolate Cake Supreme

I am sneaking in here to partially post Luke's birthday cake. I started taking photos of the cake. I took some half frosted, then started taking them after the cake was all finished. Then I made a big mistake. I took a lick of extra frosting. One little faux pa- and now I have chocolate frosting remnant on my lens. I am sure Jay is shaking his head, saying "pitiful."
Next time I get to see The Pioneer Woman, I think I will ask her how many times she has gotten food on her lens, and what she does about it.

This is a seven layer cake perfect for a boy who turned SEVEN today. I have not made this cake in years. I first had this for my 22nd birthday- and then made it that year for Jay's birthday. I don't think I have made it since. (Only because of the lack of freezer space!) It was passed to me by the family that I was living with when Jay and I met. She said this was their secret cake. I hope I am not spilling the beans by sharing it.

Really the only thing difficult about making this is having access to a freezer space. Making sure you have enough space in your freezer to put the cake in and still shut the door and not squish the cake!

Chocolate Cake Supreme

1 package Devils Food cake (package without pudding in the mix)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
Large container Cool Whip

Follow cake directions and in addition to the ingredients on the package add- flour, sugar, milk, and baking powder. Cook in 2- 9 inch round pans.
To remove: put in freezer for 1 hour.

Cut each layer in half while frozen. (split with large knife)
Layer with Cool Whip.
Frost with chocolate frosting (recipe below) and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
Put cake back in freezer until serving time.
Keep frozen.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
3 TB milk
2 TB cocoa powder

Hidden Mickey Moment #4

We found this Hidden Mickey a few weeks ago. Its from a space shuttle sleeping bag that I had in the car to take back to my mom. As the kids were getting out of the car one of them yelled "look, a Hidden Mickey!"

I love that Lori introduced this to us. It is so fun to happen upon one every now and then. It reminds us of our fabulous day at Disneyland- and Savanna's exceptional trip with the Smith family to Disney World last spring break.

What to eat Wednesday- Red Hot Apple Juice

Last month I was at an open house and had a really good warm drink. It was so great because it wasn't heavy like hot chocolate. It wasn't too spicy like Wassail. Nor was it like a hot herbal drink that I feel like I am drinking dirt. It was a great combination of hot juice with just a little spice. Perfect for those mornings, or evenings when you want something lighter than hot chocolate. But still want a little something warm. So easy.

Apple Juice and Red hots.

I am probably the last one to hear about adding these two together, but once I did I was in love. SO easy- heat the two together and stir.

Let the red hots melt into the apple juice and then serve. You can heat it all up on the stove or even in your crockpot for a party. Then save in your fridge for when you want just a single cup!

SPT- Frugal Luxury

Rethinking January-
Frugal Luxuries & Guilty Pleasures

After reading these two posts about January I decided I needed to work on re-thinking my least favorite time of the year.

January needs to be a time to dream and just let my mind wander. A time to let things settle and not push to do so much. Why do we do that to ourselves anyway? Why am I always in a hurry to get to the next thing?

It is a time to sit. For goodness sakes I love to read, why don't I do it more? Neighbor Jane posted about enjoying frugal luxuries. I sat and thought about that for a bit. What is that for me?

My frugal luxury is also a guilty pleasure.

Drinking from a hot-to-go cup with a to-go-lid. Its on my list of 100 things I love.

It's frugal because it really does not cost me much.

Its guilty because I throw it away when I am done, and I feel a little bad for that. When I am just drinking it here at home I have plenty of mugs that I could use and wash instead of throwing it out.

It's a luxury because I don't buy the cups often. I picked some up for our caroling party this Christmas, and a small package for Savanna and I to take to eat our breakfast in when we go to state choir in Tulsa. So they really are not here in the house often.

Another reason why its a luxury? I don't drink hot chocolate every day. Although I would love to. Or another warm drink- (tomorrows post!)

It is a pleasure, well because it just is. I love the way the lid and my lips meet. I love the feel of the cup in my hand. It reminds me of working at the Broadmoor. A few times after a shift, I would go over to the other side of the hotel and walk through the shops and sip a hot cocoa while I strolled and dreamed and forgot about regular life. It was cold outside and up in the mountains. Ahhh- I am there.

Frugal luxury and guilty pleasure all in one.

How we celebrated MLK day

Luke has been working on a project about Martin Luther King and Harriet Tubman. So naturally he wanted to celebrate today by dressing up. He choose to wear black and white clothes. Then Luke wanted to have something to eat to help celebrate. He choose water since everyone can drink from the same water fountain.
Luke then wanted to listen to Michael Jackson's "Black or White."

My observance of the holiday was a little more subtle.
I mistook a black man for my husband at the bookstore. I am not sure which one of us was more surprised when I lovingly reached for him then pulled back and said "I thought you were somebody else."

Day trip to the coast

Our home has been enduring the plague of chronic crankiness. Yesterday, Jay announced that he was going on a walk, just as Savanna asked Jack if he wanted to go on a walk. Jay's location sounded better, so everyone wanted to go along. While the return home had more crank than when we started I think it helped everyone else later in the day. (except Luke- he felt energized by the walk during it- but his fever returned later in the day with full on crank!)



I was glad I had our little camera with us. The best camera is the one you have with you. We documented our trip to the coast in Oklahoma. It was foggy- and as we walked around Lake Hefner we cold almost pretend that we were really on the coast. This is Jay's kind of weather. He thrives in it. Hmmm- I guess that is where Luke gets his energy when days are like this!

Grapefruit: Its not just for eating anymore-(was it ever?)

I cleaned out the fridge today. Sort of. I pulled out all the old fruit and vegetables, and made way for the new fresh stuff. As I was organizing and cleaning and trying to decide what we needed to eat quick and what just needed to go to the trash, I found a grapefruit.
I thought this was funny because I don't like grapefruit. So I don't buy grapefruit. I buy lots of grapefruit smelling things like, soaps, and lotions and cleaners. I just don't buy them to eat. I just like the idea of grapefruit. Kind of like how I like the idea of a hot herbal drink but can't stand them.
So I had this grapefruit sitting on the counter wondering how it got in my fridge when Luke spied it. He came in and eyed it for a minute then said "Mom, if you would save this until I get a Lego Indiana Jones I could use it as my boulder when I build it."

What to Eat Wednesday-Crepes

This recipe almost never came to me. I could have missed it if a misunderstanding had not been cleared up!

Back during December 2007- right after the big ice storm I arranged to have the kids taken care of so I could meet Jay for lunch. My thought? "Date." Some much needed alone time with Jay where we could talk. His thoughts?" Lunch. At the mall."

Now the thoughts may not seem to matter except, my thoughts meant alone. His thoughts meant, the more the merrier! He brought along a co-worker, having no idea that I was thinking of this as a "date."

If I remember, I had a pretty cold exterior matching the weather. Jay was not sure what was wrong, and his poor co-worker thought I had a poor opinion of him.

It was not until much later that this little misunderstanding got cleared up with Jay's co-worker, Jake. Who I now call friend. Not only do I call him a friend, but also his wife, Amy.

Last Mother's Day weekend Jake and Amy came over and taught us to make Crepes. They were wonderful that night and even better the next morning as a mother's day breakfast!

Amy calls them Norwegian Pancakes.

big recipe:

9 to12 eggs

5 cups milk

3 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbs sugar

small recipe:

3 to 4 eggs

2 cups milk

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbs sugar

"Beat eggs, add some milk and all the vegetable oil, add dry ingredients, and beat gently until smooth, add remainder of milk.

Now you have your batter. Use a very shallow cast iron skillet, and a long skinny metal spatula flipper thingy and get cooking! Melt a pat of butter on the hot skillet, pour a ladle full of batter on the pan and tilt the pan around to evenly spread the batter to all edges.

Cook until there are little bubble dimples all over it, and then flip it and cook the other side. These should turn out as very thin crepes that you can roll up and eat with syrup, whipped cream, berries, peanut butter, or whatever else you want to put inside. I basically was raised on these things."

These really were simple to make and so delicious rolled up with berries and whipped cream with a little syrup. Okay, a lot of syrup. Sweet.


Jake and Amy left Oklahoma yesterday. They are moving to California to work in an "apple orchard." Gotta love that company err- I mean fruit.

We will miss them. They are a fun couple. They are patient with our kids (who love Jake and Amy too!) We are so excited for the opportunities that are ahead of them. I am certain that we will be hearing from them often.

Unless Jake decides he won't speak to me after posting this lovely recording of him.
Jake and I have had an ongoing thing of me trying to get him to sing. Once I found out he played in a band, I have been begging him to sing. I wanted to have a party and have him be the entertainment. But he would not go for it. So finally on his last night at our house he pulled out the guitar and gave an impromptu performance. Call it his "swan song-"

SPT- my new pearls

Me and Luke- (with a blue mustache!)
Me wearing my Christmas necklace made by Luke.

I was making some things for Christmas and I had all of my white buttons spread out on our studio table. There are all kinds of buttons in all shades of white. Pearly, creamy, off white, bright white, teddy bears etc. Most of them came from both of my Grandmothers and some of my Mom's. I came in later to clean up and thought to myself- "wow- I sure did use up a lot of buttons today." It was also pretty late so I did not put much thought into it. I just scooped up what was left and put them back in my button jar.

Christmas morning there was an extra package under the tree for me. From Luke.
I was so surprised to pull out a beautiful "pearl" necklace.

So that was where all the buttons had gone.

I think that this may be one of my favorite presents I have ever received. I love it. And not just in the way a parent is supposed to love a present their child made. I really do love it. I love the length. I love that it's on an elastic cord. I love the order the buttons were strung on. I love that it is so "multi-generational." Both of my Grandmothers buttons, some of my mom's made by my son. I don't think I could have designed or asked him to make me something that I would have liked better.

I think the other thing that I loved, was that it was totally unexpected. I usually don't like surprises. The anticipation leading up to opening something does me in. I don't love looking at an unopened gift. It doesn't thrill me to wonder and dream about what might be inside. But when something is totally a surprise and unexpected- that is a thrill.
Luke had already put a present under the tree. Something he had made at school. So this extra present really did surprise me.
I think I can learn to like surprises.

Playlist of my life

I was listening to ... Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down

and it reminded me of ...

Weird- This song triggered a memory of me sitting outside a Smiths parking lot in Utah. I could not remember when this would have been so I had to go look up the year. -2000-
10 years ago!
Jack would have been under a year and Savanna would have been 2ish- was I listening to this song on the radio with them in the car? I think it would have had to have been on the radio because this was pre-ipod days. I was rockin with the kidlets!

Mischief Monday

Edited to add photo-

Note to self:

A three year old and a little amount of fake snow go far. Too far.



This was all I could manage to take, for fear of it attaching to my lens. Every movement sent a flurry- it started out as a little more than 1/2 a cup. This stuff clings to every surface, but moves so quickly when there is air. Especially air from a three year old. It was up his nose, in his ears, and by the time I was finished it was all over me too.

When I was your age ...

It is the start of a new semester for the kids and for Savanna that means a few new classes. As we were driving home yesterday we were all talking about how the day back was, and for Savanna how her new classes were. She moaned a little and told me about typing. I told her how much I loved that class and I just new that she would enjoy it once she got the hang of it. We went back and forth about it as she said she like to "peck" the keys. That it was much faster that way.

I asked what supplies she needed to get and she told me a few. But I thought she was leaving out something. I prompted... "So, do you need any paper for typing?"

Silence.

Stare.

"Mom, it's computer typewriting- I don't need to bring my own paper."

Oh. Right.

Playlist of my life

I am listening to this song ...
and it reminds me of ...

"Send me an Angel"- by Real Life


Reminds me of how after a few dates, (one of them consisting of Taco Bell and driving out to Lake Arcadia in his jeep, and having it break down on the way home) I saw the guy at a 4th of July gathering. He was with a friend of his (that I knew too.) The guy got annoyed with me (after only a few dates) because I was talking to lifeguards too much. Right before the fireworks he walked me home and asked for the t-shirt (that he had just given to me) back and he called me a little not-so-nice-name. I remember being more bothered that he wanted the shirt back (because I did not have any clean laundry), than being bothered he called me a name. I gave the shirt back and never saw him again. The end.

This memory cracks me up and makes me shake my head and roll my eyes at the same time.

not ready/ready

Not ready for vacation to be over.
Not ready for kids to go back to school.
Not ready to take the Christmas decorations down.
Not ready for Jay to go back to work.

I am ready to go to the grocery store.
I am ready to start scrapbooking.
I am ready for warm weather again.
I am ready for a girls night out.
I am ready to go to the library.
I am ready to make some plans for the new year.
I am ready to go to bed.

EDIT- I am not ready to go to the grocery store. That can wait.

caroling date

I was thinking back on this night and how excited Tucker was to go out with me. I was invited to go caroling to an assisted living center over the holidays. I told Tucker he could be my date, and go sing with me. But then we ended up going through dinner and our evening routine and getting him ready for bed. When it was time to go, Jack and Savanna were tired, Jay still was not feeling well, so I figured I would be going by myself.

Not so. He remembered. We hurriedly got him dressed and off we went to go caroling. He loved it. He danced and ran and visited with all the residents of the care center. He rode on their scooters and tried to sing the carols.



The two memories of this night that I will carry with me:
Tucker's complete and total excitement to go with me and the grin from ear to ear.
The residents (and Tucker) shaking their keys for bells when we sang "Jingle Bells."

Kind of like having two left feet only different

My first "official" post of 2010!

My allergies have been bugging me, and my eyes started to itch toward the end of the day yesterday. I went to go get ready for the evening and decided it was time to put in new contacts. I got those contacts out of my eyes and threw them in the trash and went to grab for a new pair. Only there was not a new pair. There were two right lenses but no left. I briefly thought about the implications of pulling the old pair out of the trash. Then decided I better just go with two rights. Which was interesting. I felt a little off kilter for the evening. It wasn't until this morning when I told Jay about it that he said ... "you know, you could have just worn your glasses ..."
Now why did I not think of that?!

My year in review- the posts that never made it!

I went through my archives (huh? I have an archive?!) and found many posts that didn't make the blog cut for whatever reason. Some of the posts were ones I actually found funny- or cute, or random or whatever. For this reason over the next 24 hours as we celebrate the end of 2009 I am re-visiting these posts- the ones that never saw the light of day, and give them their proper debut.

after 4th

7/5/09

Memory after seeing pw's firework leftovers

Going out on the hunt on our bikes to walk around the lake and pick up treasures- the leftovers from the night before's firework display.
Bringing them home and playing with them, adding them to houses, make beliving they were different things. Pretending to re-shoot them off.

scrambled egg memory

7/5/09

I was making scrambled eggs and it reminded me of:
Eating scrambled egg, bacon and tomatoe sandwiches and walking with my family down to the lake for a morning walk. White bread with miracle whip wrapped in a napkin, pushing Janelle with her little curly head in one of those little umbrellas strollers.
It started to rain toward the end of the walk- and we all ran back home.

animal week- zoo day

summer June-2009