Birthday Cake

So comes the first, of a few, back dated blog posts!  This one is about the tie dye cake created for our boys when they had some friends over for their birthday.  Got the idea from a friend, Heather P., from Five in a Row.  She'd made one and it looked cool and easy!

I started with a white cake, which I'll type out the recipe at the end.  Once the batter was made, I divided into 6 bowls and colored them red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

 

Once the pans were greased and floured, I randomly added dollops of each color to the pans.  Didn't really worry about what color was next to each other.  

 Cooling before taking them out of the pan.  Already looks pretty cool.

Frosted with chocolate icing and cut. 

White Cake (Better Homes & Gardens, New Cook Book)

Oven: 350 degrees

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening, butter, or margarine
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg whites
1 1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk

1. Grease and lightly flour two 8x1 1/2 inch or 9x1 1/2 inch round baking pans or grease one 13x9x2 baking pan; set pan(s) aside.  Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening, butter, or margine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and vanilla; beat till well combined.  Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each.  Add dry mixture and buttermilk alternating to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined.  Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove layer cakes from pans.  Cool thoroughly on racks.  Or, place 13x9 inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly.  Frost with desired frosting.

Happy Baking!

Favorit Cake Recipes . . . .

This is what I do while on permanent hold with our health insurance provider, I type out my favorite cake recipes, because I just don't buy boxed cakes anymore.  These are from Better Homes and Gardens, New Cook Book, copyrighted 1996.

YELLOW CAKE
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or margarine
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/4 milk

1. Grease and lightly flour two 8 x 1 1/2" or 9 x 1/2 inch round baking pans or grease one 13x9x2 baking pan; set pan(s) aside.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and vanilla; beat till well combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute afte reach.  Add dry mixture and milk alternating to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined.  Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).
3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove layer cakes from pans.  Cool thoroughly on rake.  Or, place 13x9 inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly.  Frost with desired frosting.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups cold water

1. Grease and lightly flour two 9x1 1/2 inch round baking bans or grease one 13x9x2 baking pan; set pan(s) aside.  Stir together flour, coco powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside
2. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and vanilla; beat till well combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Add dry mixture and water alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined.  Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Cool layer cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Cool thoroughly on wire racks.  Or, place 13x9 inch cake pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly.  Frost with desired frosting.

Woo Hoo! Typing this out took 20 minutes or so, Cigna should be answering soon.

Homemade ~ anything

Making anything homemade has it's advantages and disadvantages.  For awhile, making things at home, saved you money.  If you had the talent to do something ~ anything ~ you'd save $$$'s by doing it yourself.  Prices seem to be getting a lot more expensive, lately, and it's almost not worth it.  Now, to make something at home, it's for the shear joy of creating something, from something else.

Personally, I love going through thrift stores, yard sales, craft stores, (and even trash day) and wondering what I can make out of the items I see.

Here are a few things I've made and posted on the blog:

• rug deoderizer
• wood cut drawings
• knit shawl
• cable knit scarf
• baked donuts
• quilt blocks and knit baby blanket
• homemade pizza

Most of the above has been out of things we've bought; I have picked up a couple things on trash days!  I have a beautiful (now) wash stand that was thrown out.  A new door made by my dad, a new towel bar, and  I refinished it.  I also found a mini terrarium on trash day that just needed a bit of sanding and paint touch up.  I've passed up on a few things that, now, I wish I'd picked up.  Oh well!

What do you like to make new?  What do you like to make, at home, even if it would be more economical to buy new?  Do you keep a blog and want to share a link?  Would love to see some of your recreations!  Please share and maybe we'll all get a bit more inspired!

Saturday morning baking . . .

. . . . a blog post a few days late.  A few weeks ago, I went by Kohl's because I had $30 Kohl's cash I wanted to use before it REALLY expired (I was one day after the expiration date, called them and I could still use it! Ya me!!).  We really didn't need clothes, bedding, or kitchen stuff, so I looked for a few things that I'd seen before or the boys had asked about.  So, for $28.52 of their money I walked away with a slip and slide for the boys and a Baby Cakes Donut Maker.  This past Saturday was the third time we've used it and it has turned out to be a neat little gadget (although I am glad I didn't pay full price or use my own money).

We didn't get photo's of putting the dough into the machine or before they are taken out, but here's a look at the after product:

 I would take the donuts out of the maker and put them onto a cooling rack on a

cookie sheet.  I kept several warm in the oven until most of the batter was used.

Then I'd dunk in melted butter, roll in cinnamon/sugar, and put on platter.

 Don't they look yummy?

 Just a few left.  If you overfill the donut area, you get

the flat "rims" around the edge.  Instructions say to use two table spoons.

Yeah right, one is way better and you get more donuts and less wasted

batter.

 A certain Thing Two thought they would be regular sized

donuts.  Nope, mini donuts that you get to eat 6 or 7 instead of

being good and only eating 1 or 2.

Yes, Thing One likes them too!

Nice thing about all of this is that it is a small appliance and we actually had room to store it off of the counter top.  Not sure what the next flavor will be, but it will be used a few more times.

Someone has had . . . . .

a great day! Thing Two turned 7 today. Personally, don't remember much about being 7, but it's off to a great start for him. One of his first statements today was something along the lines of "that's a huge present!!" Think he liked his balloon as well, but it was a day where he woke up before me, so I am hearing the comments second hand.

Heres a few photos of the day:

This present is huge!! Can I put it down now?

Cool! It's what I wanted ~ Imaginex Batman Cave!!

A plain cake made in a heart shaped bundt pan,
at Thing Two's request.

Topped with chocolate frosting
and sprinkles. You could hear him
through out the house, as he left the kitchen,
exclaiming "WOO HOO!!! SPRINKLES!!"

Happy Birthday, son!! We love you.

The smell of Christmas!

Yes, the smell of Christmas. I've got mint, Gherodelli brownies in the oven. When those come out, rolls go in so we can have pulled pork bbq for dinner. The house smells wonderful as the brownies will be out in a moment or two.

The starts of our mint brownies. We use Ghirardelli because they're
really good. Picked up mint-patties as well for the brownies.
Prepare the batter and pan as directed.

Poured about half the batter into a prepared pan.


25 mints, unwrapped and placed in the batter.
In case you are wondering, this is an 8" x 8" pan.
The remaining batter was poured in and spread out.
Bake as directed.

45 minutes later and the brownies are ready. Bet
you wish your computer was scratch and sniff now.

Today wasn't just baking. We also went to see a play at George Mason University; it was "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe". It was very nicely done. Tomorrow we go back to see "The Christmas Carol".

Christmas Baking

So far we have made Peanut Butter Kiss cookies (and they are ALL gone) and M&M cookies (Toll House recipe, but with Christmas M&M instead of chips). Oreo Truffles are in the fridge cooling and then possibly Mint brownies. Here's how we make them:

• make your favorite brownie mix (Ghirardelli mix is really good)
• prepare pan as directed
• pour about half the batter into pan
• use enough mint patties to cover batter
• pour remaining batter over patties
• bake as directed

They come out really yummy!!

Betty Crocker . . .

I am not. Made a second guitar cake today. This time chocolate. When it came out of the oven, the top was all bumpy, not the smooth (and possibly cracked) like most cakes are when they come out. Just flipped it out of the pan and the head stock (where the knobs are to tune the strings) stayed in the pan.

The cake tastes great, but looks horrible. Will have to bake, yet another cake, tonight after home group. Good thing I had a nap earlier today.


My headless cake. Kevin said I could pass it off as a Steinburger. These guitars and basses have no heads. I looked at it as another opportunity to make a cake and have one at home.








So, we sampled the little bit that didn't come out correctly. The cake may have looked ugly, but it sure tasted good.

Pizza Night

It's been about 8 years. Eight years of making homemade pizza, from scratch, most every Friday night. There have been some weeks, over the years that have been skipped, because were dining with family or friends (at their house) and there have been some weeks that we order in. Mostly, though, we make our dough in the bread maker, make the sauce, and go from there.

Today was a first. The first time we made individual pizzas and the first time photos where taken (dear hubby even suggested that we should take pictures - guess he knows I like to blog). Here's a look into some of the pizzas.















Here are the hands of my all cheese child. The other pizza if for my meat loving son. Hubby's and mine are on the other tray.











Two trays worth of pizza's ready to go into the oven.

Chocolate Croissants

We have a tradition at our house to make chocolate Croissants, the first Saturday, after pay period. As that is today, I thought I'd blog about it. Following are photos and directions for how we go about it.

1st: Take out the 8 croissants out. Lay them out on a cookie sheet in sets of two as seen to the left. Pinch the diagonal seem together. You will then have four, rectangular croissants.








2nd: Sprinkle with chocolate chips, as many or as few as you want. To many, though, and it's hard to roll up.










3rd: Roll up and pinch seems together.









4th: I like to set the filled croissant with the seem down. To the left, are the first four (one package of 8 croissant). Continue with the same steps if you are using two packages.









5th: Bake as directed. Here are our homemade chocolate croissants.

Oreo Truffles

This is an easy, good, no bake dessert.

45 Oreo cookies, divided (one package)
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 oz semisweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Crush nine cookies to a fine crumbs in food processor; save for later
2. Crush remaining cookies into fine crumbs and place in medium bowl
3. Add cream cheese to cookie crumbs and mix well
4. Roll mixture into 1" balls, place on wax paper lined cookie sheets (divide among 2 sheets for ease of working)
   
5. Chill for about a half hour
6. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave
   
7. Dip balls into chocolate and return to tray
8. Sprinkle the tops with reserved cookie crumbs
9. Repeat steps 7 & 8 with the second tray of balls
10. Refrigerate for one hour until firm
11. Store in covered container in fridge
    

5 Minutes

Do you have 5 minutes to create a mug of chocolate cake? Following is a recipe forwarded to me by my Mom. We've tried it and it's pretty good.

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

a splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

mix dry ingredients together

add egg and mix

add other ingredients and mix

pour into mug

microwave for 3 minutes (@ 1000 watt)

cool a bit

put on plate or bowl and eat

I don't know how high ours goes, but cooked it for 3 minutes and it was good!! Also, it will rise some but it doesn't overflow.