The Betty

Happy Birthday to me! I have the best husband. He has taken me all over looking for the perfect bike. This one was in the window, waiting for me. Oh, yes, it was right there with it's sassy flames calling my name. Little dice on the valve caps... leather streamers, white wall tires, and a big phatty seat, flames in the rubber of the wheels and pink fenders. Who could ask for more?  Here it is. I ride the neighborhood with style and really really enjoy it. Who wouldn't! Anyway, just wanted you all to take a look! Yipee!

Classical Music

I have been listening to music on Pandora.com today. I have a classical piano station that I really really enjoy. The music has brought peace to my soul, calm to my heart and happiness. Not that I wasn't feeling happy before, but I think I need this kind of therapy every day. I live in chaos between getting kids up, to school, fed, clean up, get me dressed, diapers changed, etc and that is only the first hour of my day! Sound familiar to anyone? Yeah, well I am happy, I have embraced the chaos and truly find joy in my life. I am grateful for that, but sometimes I need to de-compress. This is a sure way to do it. I have started playing classical 89 in my car while driving with kids. Magically, really magically they calm down. I love it. Move over prozac!

IS THAT POOP?

My kids think that poop jokes are the funniest thing around right? Well, anyway after I finished this cake... which was no small feat, Kate immediately asks, "Is that poop?" Nice, I thought! Well I think it turned out looking a little better than that, but it did remind me of a certain birthday cake that some fairies made for a princess on her 16th birthday... remember what happened when they didn't use their wands?

So it wasn't as perfect as the picture on the recipe, but it did taste every bit as good as I would have hoped! It was fun to make and even more fun to share.

Luckily I shared enough that I had only a little bit left in the morning. When jordan woke up he was so excited to eat it for breakfast, I finished what he left after school. Yum and fun! Thank you for everyone who came, and I missed all of you who couldn't come. I'll find something else to entice you a little more!

Cake Party!

So I looked at my calendar... I decided that I will make this for Monday Feb 8. We'll have cake for a late lunch (or dessert for those who also want lunch) at 1:30. Also you have to RSVP... and vote on what kind of candy we should put in it... or if we should just leave it plain. If you notice the recipe says to layer with broken bits of candy in some of the layers... Lets vote.

1. Heath

2. Reeces

3. Marshmallow Bits

4. Peppermint

Let me know!  Mmmm

Recipe: Smith Island 10-Layer Cake

So I found this blogging. This is the next dessert I will fix. I am going to call out to neighbors and friends to see if I can borrow all the pans I need.

Enlarge John Poole, NPRSmith Island layer cake, in progress and complete.

John Poole, NPR

Smith Island layer cake, in progress and complete.

Frosting
2 sticks butter
2 12-oz. cans evaporated milk
8 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 lbs. confectioners sugar
Melt butter. Stir in evaporated milk (off heat). Whisk in cocoa until smooth, return to heat and cook for approximately 10 minutes. DO NOT BOIL or scorch. Remove from heat and whisk in confectioners sugar slowly. Cook slowly until thickened and will stick to back of a spoon or to the whisk. (It will form a ribbon when you drizzle a spoonful onto mixture while cooking.)
Approx time: 45 minutes.
Cake
2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup water
Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Mix into egg mixture one cup at a time. With mixer running, slowly pour in the evaporated milk, then the vanilla and water. Mix just until uniform. Put three serving spoonfuls of batter in each of 10 9-inch lightly greased pans, using the back of the spoon to spread evenly. Bake three layers at a time on the middle rack of the oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. A layer is done when you hold it near your ear and you don't hear it sizzle.
Start making the icing when the first layer goes in the oven. Let the layers cool a couple of minutes in the pans. Put the cake together as the layers are finished. Run a spatula around the edge oft the pan and ease the layer out of the pan. Don't worry if it tears; no one will notice when the cake is finished. Use two or three serving spoonfuls of icing between each layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the icing. Push icing that runs onto the plate back onto the cake.
To Ice the Cake
Take one slightly cooled layer and spread with cooled frosting. Add crushed candy randomly on layer. (Reese's cups, Snickers, Milky Ways or whatever your favorite is — candy is optional as well.) Add next layers, frosting, candy and repeat process till the 10th layer. Do not add candy to final layer. Finish frosting the cake and sides. You may have to wait to ice the top and sides until the icing cools.

These are pictures I stole, I'll let you know how mine turns out!

Cookies Crunch

Kate told me last thursday that she wanted to make "cookies crunch" what-ever that is, so we made some regular Chocolate Chip cookies and put some oatmeal in them. She loved it. This cute apron was made for her special by her aunt Joanne for Christmas. She loves wearing her apron. She is just now asking me to make cookies crunch again... i don't think my waistline can handle making cookies that often... oh well. she is a doll and we had a great time!

Amazing Adventures of Ashley

My 100th post obviously was a flop! Who cares really? I do a little, but maybe this one will be better. What can be cuter and more fun than a little baby who is getting into everything, can crawl everywhere and scoot so fast she surprises me! So she may not be as picturesque as her cousin Charlotte, but I just have to take pictures in the moment. I am not much good at creating picture perfect "hallmark" moments. Her fists are clenched because they are full of dog food! So is her mouth! So much fun. (but if you notice that is a bow on her sweatshirt and not a stain)

I found her like this yesterday. She was making funny sounds from her bed and I found her like this, kind of freaked me out. This morning she was laying in bed and I told ryan about it... as I was just telling him I needed to lower her mattress we heard a THUD! Followed by her crying! Yikes she got out and fell to the floor! Luckily she was only scared but she is 9 months i couldn't believe she climbed out already. Needless to say her mattress is now on the lowest setting.