Thursday, November 4, 2010

Rainy Days Need Rainbow Cakes!

It's a rainy day here in South Jersey and my favorite way to dispell the rainy day gloom-ies is to bake! 
I've always loved to bake--since my homeschool days, on the family farm, an hour from ANYWHERE, I would spend a lot of time baking. 
Anyways--I never eat the stuff--ask my poor husband! 
I bake up a storm and set it prettily on the counter and throw it all away the next day before he gets around to eating a piece. 
He then finds said baked goods in the trash and laments the fact the he was "just getting around to eating it."
It's a sickness. 
I should set up shop so that someone could get some enjoyment out of it! 
But, I digress...
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I started by mixing up white cake mix.
If I were making a "fancy" cake I would have mixed up two boxes or made a large recipe of homemade cake but this wasn't fancy--it was just fun. =)
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I equally divided the batter into bowls and mixed in some gel food coloring I got at JoAnn's (I bought rainbow colors when I made Maeve's birthday cake).
Aren't they pretty?
Next, I layered three colors in the bottom of two, 9 in pans. 
If I were being "fancy" I would have made 6 layers--one at a time so that you get the real rainbow affect!  
In the interest of full disclosure I'm including this picture of 
*The Great Flour Accident of 2010*
This is very common when I bake. Oy.
That's what I get for being fancy and flouring my pans!
Here's the *warm* color layer fresh from the oven!
And the *cool* layer....
(sorry the Art Teacher within couldn't resist!)
Also for fun, I whipped up a batch of frosting from my cousin Christine's recipe.
It's a bit different than an average buttercream--very very light and fluffy (not light in calories).
Included, for your viewing pleasure, a recipe card--scrawled in my own indecipherable script--in the days before I married Mr. Wonderful! 
I absconded with my Mother's recipe box and copied my favorite recipes and just for a touch of fun added butterfly stickers.
Somtimes it's the little things that bring the most joy. =)
The recipe, if you're interested:
1 c crisco
1/2 c butter
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c milk
5 c powdered sugar
*dump together and mix 10 minutes 
(this is where the Kitchen Aide comes in handy!)

***Also for the sake of full disclosure, I totally forgot the egg. It still tastes fine and is probably "safer" anyways since there's no risk of whatever possibly kills you when you eat raw eggs. Although, after 31 years of eating raw cookie dough I've been just fine so there probably isn't too much to worry about. 
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Finished product!
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...you know...
now that you've suffered through this. =) 
You're welcome.
Also; I'm sorry. =)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

My Grand-parents-in-law (say that five times fast!) have always been such an encouragement to me! 
They live out in Ohio and I've only met them once but we've kept up a written correspondence and they've been sending me coupons once a week! (Love them!). 
They are the sweetest, best people on God's green earth and Pop-pop sent some verses along with my coupons this week and I thought I'd share them:
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 1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
 6 The LORD works righteousness
   and justice for all the oppressed.

The Many Sides Of Ezra





Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Don't Be Tardy For The Party....

We had a small birthday celebration for Ezra last night.
Just cake
and family.

Ezra loved the blue frosting

and I loved the fact that his birthday cake was kind of a cakewreck 
(colorful turd shapes + green squiggles = balloons?) 

but i also loved the fact that acme made it for us for free.

win.
win.
win.

Totally Random; One Step Ahead = Genius

Oh my word--I just got the One Step Ahead catalog in the mail (toy edition) and they have this amazing playhouse--it actually attaches to the wall (it looks like a coat rack?) and when it's not in use you can fold it completely flat against the wall--I wish they had a before and after picture.
I don't need or want this but I think this is totally genius!


Just thought I'd share!

Hallelujah!!

A friend from church participated in this *Random Act Of Culture.*
I always find this song so moving I had to share it!
The Hallelujah Chorus, sung by the Philadelphia Opera Company and friends at Macy's in Center City Philadelphia.
Love this song!
"And He shall reign forever and ever! Hallelujah!"

Monday, November 1, 2010

To My One And Only *One*

To *My Precious Little Guy* on your 1st Birthday,
        A year ago today I was waiting for my Mother to arrive from New York. I had felt little contractions off and on all day and didn't really think they would come to anything. Then, of course, you totally surprised me with the most harrowing hour and a half of my life--but then you were here and I forgave you. Mostly. =)
There are times that it seems you have been a perfect part of our family forever, and times when I still can't believe how lucky we are to have you! 
       The first night in the hospital with you I just held you close and smelled your delicious head and baby breath. It was wonderful. You were so yummy! You were the most handsome little baby and when I brushed your hair you looked like a little man. =)
       This year, with you, has been amazing. You are wonderful and happy and lovely and easy and charming and delightful! I cannot believe how quickly the months have flown (and how busy these months have been!)! 
       You are the luckiest little guy--you have two beautiful sisters who love you so much and a Mama and Daddy who just can't get enough of you. You are our little pocket-full-of-sunshine and we love love love you!
       I pray that God will bless you as you grow with a thankful heart, with a loving spirit and a desire to follow His will for your life. We are so thankful that He has given you to us! We love you always and forever and then some!
Love,
Mama, Daddy, Amels and Maevey


1 Day

1 Month

2 Months
3 Months
4 Months
5 Months
6 Months
7 Months
8 Months
9 Months
10 Months
11 Months
12 Months!

My Birthday Boy




Sunday, October 31, 2010

Trick or Treat!

We had such a fun Halloween day! After church this morning my husband took the girls out for some *warm up* trick or treating! 
After Ezra's nap we headed out with cousin Ryleigh, my BIL and SIL and Granny and POP to do some more! The kids made out like bandits and it was a lovely day for a walk through the neighborhood! =) 
We had lunch out as a family and it was very lovely! Here are some pictures of my little ones! 
And yes, this Halloween is MUCH better than last Halloween...you know, the one where I was 15,000 months pregnant with Ezra. 
Thank goodness that's in the past. =)






Thursday, October 28, 2010

Christmas Card Awesomeness From Shutterfly!

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year and one of my favorite things to do is to make Christmas Cards! 
I've been doing digital cards for a while and they always come out awesome and are soooo easy to produce! 
Which is perfect, because--let's face it--I've got way too many small children to spend hours on cards! 
This year I am so excited to make my cards through Shutterfly! 
I recently used their service to make a digital photo album and it came out so well! I can't wait to see what their cards look like!
Here are some of my favorites:
I really like the cards that have a large spot for a picture with just a classy sentiment and fun design. These Christmas ornaments are so fun and funky. I also like my cards to read "Merry Christmas" as Christ is the reason for the season!
 I love this one too--the black and white picture with the simple red and green design just speak to me!
 I also like the ones with more than one picture option--I could do a spot for each of the kids or three poses that I really like! I can't wait to shoot my pictures and see what I come up with!
Shutterly also has a lot of great options for traditional folded cards
There are so many fun designs! 
It's such a fun "chore" to pick one out each year! 
I'm totally in the mood now to get the kids dressed up so that I can work on my cards! =) 
Hopefully I can get them all to smile--and even if I can't--at least I know the card will be cute enough to distract people! Ha!
Oh my word, I just found this Custom Christmas Card design--square cards? Awesome!
Yay! Merry Christmas Card Making!!