Ice-Cream Cake and Cupcakes

Meet the workhorse of our family, KitchenAid mixer meet world, world meet KitchenAid mixer. Next to the espresso machine, the mixer puts in more overtime than the microwave and toaster together. It's never late, never in a bad mood and always up for a challenge. This weekend the mixer was at it again bringing our family too much joy to put into words.

My daughter Sammy celebrated her 6th birthday with 9 of her closest friends, 6 of which stayed overnight. All together, including my two girls, there were 8 girls to wrangle to bed and it was so much fun. Having all of the kids in the house with only myself and my husband to keep the entertainment going was actually a lot easier than we originally thought. After Sammy blew out the candles I damn near came undone. If there were ever a time to use the command, "Scram!" this was it. It was like someone lit a fire under the children. They all jumped up and began pawing and grabbing at my clothes to get my attention as if 12 screaming children weren't enough to make me notice them. Simultaneously but not necessarily in unison, they started beckoning me with quick sharp high pitched voices, "Maya, Maya, Maya." Followed by, "I want that piece, I want that piece, I want that piece." It was unbearable. "I want marshmallows, I want the gum, I want the lifesaver, I want the blue not the white. I want the middle piece, I want the end. . . ." It went on until my husband swooped in and demanded, "Everyone outside now!" And pouf, all the children ran off into the backyard except for one very determined child who without taking a breath said, "Maya, I want that piece, the piece with the blue. Can I have some gum? Can I have the lifesaver? Can I have a big piece?" My husband picked her up as she continued the rapid fire questioning until her voice faded away and she was banished to the backyard along with the rest of them. "Scram kids, ya boder'n me see!" Finally all kids were outside and I had elbow room and calm. My hand no longer trembled and my brain finally focused on the job at hand -- cutting the cake. Every child got exactly what they wanted, a slice of the blue part of the cake, a lifesaver and marshmallows.

The cake, a white cake with a layer of vanilla ice-cream and a layer of chocolate. This was my first attempt at an ice-cream cake. The cake itself wasn't difficult only that I had to work at lightning speed as the ice-cream began melting the moment it came out of the cake pan. I lined the cake pan with plastic wrap and spooned in the softened ice-cream and left it overnight in the fridge. By morning, all I had to do was lift it out of the cake pan. It was super duper easy. I used a 13 by 9 cake pan to make a single layer, cut it in two, and alternated cake, ice-cream, cake, ice-cream. Back in the freezer it went for 30 minutes and then I took it out to frost. I used a large tub of Cool-whip, 8 oz cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar for the frosting and then the cake went back in the fridge for a second time. After several hours, I took it out and frosted one last time with plain Cool-whip. Decorated the the top and here you have it . . .

My daughter is becoming quite the swimmer and enjoys the water so much that I decided to make a swimming pool cake. Marshmallows line the pool and a Graham cracker serves as diving board. I used gum for the lounge chairs. The lifesavers are floats.

Here's what was left after all children were served.

Silver White Cake

2 /14 cups flour

1 2/3 cups sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups whole milk

2/3 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 egg whites (not beaten)

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour rectangular pan, 13-by-9-by-2 inches. Beat all ingredients except egg whites on low speed 30 seconds, scraping down bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 2 minutes, scraping down bowl occasionally. Add unbeated egg whites; beat in egg whites on high for 2 minutes. Pour into pan.

Bake 23 to 28 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

The Betty Crocker Cookbook

The cake will come out very uniform and flat so if you're not laying with ice-cream, you may want to make 3 of these and fill and frost with a Buttercream Frosting.

Even though this was a kid's party, I made cupcakes for the adults. I used the same cake recipe.

I frosted with Buttercream.

Then topped the frosted cupcakes with a slice of plumb.

I actually didn't get a chance to serve the adults the cupcakes because everyone dropped off their child. So instead, when the parents came in the morning for pick-up, I gave them a few cupcakes to take home for later.

Buttercream Frosting

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoon vanilla

About 3 tablespoons milk

Mix powdered sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla and milk. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. If it's too thick, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

I just want to thank my mixer for helping me get through another event. You're the best!

Cake-a-Palooza

My palms are a little sweaty and my heart is palpitating at the rate of a shrew mouse which can only mean one thing -- Sammy's having a birthday party. I always get nervous whenever one of my girls is approaching another full year's travel around the sun. It's stressful planning parties and even more so when it's a party for a child. Children are so pure in the way that they express their emotions which is why I always strive to produce a grin as large as a watermelon slice with each cake I create.
Each year I try to create cakes that represent my children's interests. For instance, I made a flower pot cake for Sammy the year that she was really interested in dirt, flowers and bugs.
Here are some images of cakes I've made. This one was for Alex's 1-year birthday. At a wee 1-year old, she really didn't have any interests aside from clinging to me, so for a theme I took the pattern straight from the birthday paper plates and napkins and replicated them in sugar cookies that I used as cake toppers. Amazingly they came out exactly as I had hoped. This was a difficult cake in that I had to first use a knife to freehand draw the animal cutouts from the dough. Not too bad for an amateur I must say.

This was Alex's 3rd birthday. I purchased a cupcake pan that was the shape of ice-cream cones. What kid isn't interested in ice-cream right? I made a whipped cream frosting and iced the cupcakes like soft serve ice-cream. Super fun.

This is the year that Sammy took ballet class. Again, I freehand drew the ballerina in the dough and then cut it out. The head kept popping off so I had to hold the head for photos or use tape to keep it on when there was no one available to stand there to hold it in place. Even the mistakes are fun and memorable.

This was was my absolute favorite cake. This was the year that Sammy discovered dirt, flowers and bugs. It was such inspiration for me. I used fondant to make the flower pot then covered the top of the pot with cookie crumbs. I placed gummy worms on the top and used real flowers in small vials of water that I tucked into the cake so it really did look like the flowers were growing out of the dirt.

Last year Sammy really got into Scooby Doo so I made a Mystery Machine van cake, but those photos were gobbled up by my computer so I don't have pictures to share with you. I know, bummer huh?

This weekend I'm making another cake. I'll try to have images for you next week. Have a good weekend.

The Cost of a Birthday Present

I've only got 4 more days before my Sammy turns 6 and I have no idea what to get her. I've taken her to several toy stores for her to point out the things that she wants and she really doesn't seem to have a hankering for anything. I'm struggling with this one. Then I thought, A-HA! I know what she would love and cherish forever and ever. . . books by Astrid Lindgren. She's the very one who wrote the wildly popular Pippi Longstocking stories which I inhaled as a child.

Lindgren is also the author of many other lovable stories that Sammy simply adores as do I. These stories are richly imaginative and the illustrations by Hans Arnold are so uniquely filled with delicate details you'd be hard pressed to find anything close to it in any other children's books. I just know Sammy would love these. She's checked them out many times and always hugs them and says, "Read it again, I just love this story." Her eyes race over the pictures examining every ounce of detail and the stories, oh the stories are delectable. I can just eat them all up.

My Beloved Sister is about a little girl who along with her imaginary sister travel to a world unlike any other. It's beautifully written and illustrated but it costs a whopping $50 to start for a used copy or $145 for new. This book is out of print so I would essentially be buying it from a collector. I'm so torn. But look at these pages? Aren't they spectacular? It be like buying art right?

Look at the detail here. See the dark figures in the background? Those are the frights.

This is precious.

Mirabelle is another story by Lindgren but illustrated by Pija Lindenbaum. Mirabelle is strangely creepy but lovable at the same time. A little girl plants a doll seed and grows an actual doll named Mirabelle. Mirabelle comes to life only when she and the little girl are alone. Mirabelle gets into all sorts of trouble but is loved nonetheless.

This one is a little more reasonably priced at $25. I think I can swing this one even given that it's a good chunk of change for a children's book.

What would you do? Have you ever spent a gazillion dollars on a book for a 6-year-old? I think Sammy deserves it. I'm torn.

Summer Vacation

We couldn't resist visiting our state's capital in Olympia.

Once we arrived in Portland, we grabbed a bite to eat at Old Town Pizza

After pizza, Sammy lost another tooth while eating a red vine. She had just lost one the day before.

We finally arrived at the beach where the explorers went to work on finding all sorts of sea creatures.

I love this picture. It was my favorite day on the beach.

The Newport Aquarium is magnificent!! The indoor/outdoor exhibits are amazing. The Northwest Modern architecture is stunning.

The delicate blown glass is in every tank. It was hard for me to focus on the sea life with so many glass sculptures on display.

And of course there was salt water taffy. Sammy used her Tooth Fairy money to buy a bag of candy that she shared with her little sister. How sweet.

Surf shops are everywhere along the coast so we visited as many of them as possible.

In Portland there is a skateboard shop called, Daddies Superior Snow and Skate. My husband loves this place so we visited there on the way in to Portland and on the way out.

I have so many photos to share with you but I think these give you a nice glimpse into how we spent our vacation. I can't wait until next summer.

Fresh Picked Apples, Apple Pie

Our neighbors at the end of the block are in Greece and while away, they gave us permission to raid their apple tree. As we were walking up our block I told the girls to only get as much as they could carry. Whoa! These girls could carry a lot.

These apples are small but pack a delectable punch and they look beautiful arranged in a large bowl in the middle of the kitchen island. I used about half of what we picked to bake two apples pies, 1 for us and 1 for our neighbors.

The new word in our house is a la mode. Every time my girls ask for a snack they now say, "May we have it a la mode?" Tis true, everything is better with ice-cream, but nothing is yummier than a large scoop of ice-cream oozing over an even larger slice of apple pie.

Fresh Picked Apples, Apple Pie

Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (You'll need two of these 1 for the bottom and 1 for the top):

In bowl stir together 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/2 cup shortening until pieces are pea size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with fork. Push moistened dough to side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time (4 or 5 tablespoons total), until flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into ball. On floured surface, roll dough into 13-inch circle.

Better Homes and Gardens, November 2007

Pie Filling:

3 pounds assorted apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

In a large bowl, toss together apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour into prepared pie shell. Place second piece of rolled dough on top, and gently press over apples. Gently press the top and bottom pieces of the dough together. Brush top with the mixture of heavy cream and egg yolk. Cut three vents in the top to allow steam to escape. Freeze until firm about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees, with the rack in the lower third.

Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway through, until the crust is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer pie to wire rack to cool completely. The pie is best eaten the day it is baked, but it can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.

Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York

Vacation

I'm on vacation. See you soon.

The Bell Jar

Dear Sylvia,

I know you don't know me, and I doubt that you would have ever wanted to. Had we lived in the same time I doubt our paths would have ever crossed save for perhaps a book reading where you would have found me standing in the back of the room too afraid to come forward. I would have been too meek to raise a hand to ask a question for fear my words would simply drivel aimlessly in your direction with nary an ounce of clarity whatsoever. So instead, I would just stand there and listen intently as you lifted each word from your book like a spec of dust to blow into the crowd. And even though I would be standing there mute, I would have much on my mind. Like, why did you leave us so soon? Well, technically I feel I sorta know why you did it. But it still pains me nonetheless.

The world is sometimes a strange space to occupy and I'm sure it was difficult, unbearable even, to have a mind such as yours be surrounded by those that didn't have the same level of intellect. It must have been very difficult for you I'm sure.

I started reading The Bell Jar last night and will surely have it finished by this evening. While reading I have decided to read The Bell Jar on the third weekend of every month and then, hello? Crazy right? I snapped out of it and have snapped back to reality.

You should know this about me. Some years back I had the same reaction to J.D. Salinger's, The Catcher in the Rye and read it every summer for five years. It's now been 5 years since I last read it and I always feel like I've given up on Holden, which I haven't. You two would have made fine pen pals I do believe. That is, if Holden weren't fictional. Though you might as well be fictional too when you really think about it. You're not really here nor there so you might as well be a protagonist in a novel and then be done with it. All in all, reading The Bell Jar every month would be difficult -- even you would understand that. Right?

In any event, you probably wouldn't like today no more than you liked your own era. The world would not have been kind to you and that's for damn sure. Today, news is no longer a fleeting moment but rather a drawn out dramatic saga that continues for eons. You would have surely had reason to stick your head in the oven during this time I must confess. Though I say this while myself being no more than a bobble head, not unlike the masses, wobbling toward any direction where there might be fast flickers of light bouncing off a rectangular screen set atop a fireplace mantle. No Sylvia, this would not have been the life for you and maybe because you're so broad-minded, not myopic like me, you saw where the world was going and wanted none of it.

Though what you probably didn't know, or knew, but didn't want to own up to it is this: we're all the same. In the end we are all the same. Like pebbles on a beach. They're pretty, smooth, unique in their own pebble sort of way, but when you throw one into the Mylar sheath of a pond, they skip deliberately neath the surface and back up again. Some pebbles are better at it than others, but in the end they all just fall to the bottom in precisely the same way as all the others before them. I know sometimes the world puts on you all sorts of pressures that make you feel inferior or far too superior for your own good but truly isn't a pebble just a rock. I mean really. Pebble is just a euphemism. Poet, writer, journalist are mere titles all shiny and smooth, but that doesn't speak to who you really were. In the end you should have owned up to this fact. You should have given equal weight to the thought of what could have been. You are a rock and therefore you should have stood your ground. And yet again, I know the weight of the world washed over you and it was too much to bear. Hell, the Titanic was taken down so why not you. I understand. I do. Its cool.

Well, I am off for a weeks holiday. Taking the girls to the beach to build sand castles and run in the ocean surf. While there, I'll throw a few pebbles in the ocean and say your name. Sylvia Plath. Sylvia Plath. Sylvia Plath. I'm sure you won't hear me, but if ever there was a wrinkle in time. . .

Sincerely,

Maya

Baked French Fries

My husband is such a good cook. He found the tastiest recipe for baked French Fries on All Recipes.

Prep time: 5 Minutes
Bake time: 45 Minutes
Ready in: 50 Minutes

1 Large potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Cut potato into wedges.

On All Recipes they say to mix everything together and place on a baking sheet. To be more specific, my husband mixed all ingredients in a zip lock bag, added the potato wedges and shook to really coat the fries. You can do this well ahead of time too and the zip lock bag is less messy.

You'll need to double or triple the recipe depending on how many potatoes you'll be using.

Our children enjoyed these too.

I'm Down a Memoir

Mishna Wolff is a white girl in every sense of the word living in a predominately black neighborhood in Seattle's Central District. Mishna is poor just like everyone in her neighborhood but the difference is, she's poor and white with no rhythm or swagger to speak of. Think, Steve Martin in the Jerk. In this book, Mishna is essentially Navin Johnson but instead of being white in an all black household, she's white in an all white household. The trouble is, her father acts and talks just like the black dads from her hood which makes it that much more difficult for her to adapt in any situation.

"He strutted around with a short perm, a Cosby-esque sweater, gold chains and a Kangol -- telling jokes like Redd Foxx, and giving advice like Jesse Jackson," Wolff writes. "You couldn't tell my father he was white. Believe me, I tried."

Nothing makes Mishna's father happier than when she shows signs of being black. Mishna tries with all her might to be as black as a white girl can be which is difficult for her to do. She struggles with her identity and the identity of her father. Even her little sister has more girlfriends than she does, dang.

Mishna begins to immerse herself in her studies so that some day she can break away from the hood and live a better life. "You think you're better than this family." Her dad would say. Mishna is torn. She wants to be better, but she wants to be a real family too.

I liked this book very much. I feel like Mishna and I walked in similar shoes in some cases. I grew up in the same neighborhood and was in the same Individual Progress Program that Mishna was in. And though I'm a black girl, I have no rhythm or swagger to speak of either. We south end rhythm-less girls have to stick together you know. I highly recommend this very short read.

Crafty Weekend

I have been stressed to the max since Thursday. My laptop computer has been giving me all kinds of grief. And of course this grief comes right smack dab in the middle of an insane amount of work that needs to get done. I'm heading out for vacation on Friday and hope to have it all resolved before I leave. Cross your fingers for me.

To take my mind off of my computer woes, on Saturday I spent time with my girls and their next door neighbor friend making a poster for our block party which is happening tomorrow night. Yeah. I swear the block party might as well be another holiday because the girls get really worked up about it. We really do have fantastic neighbors so I can see why they're thrilled to spend time with them.

Then on Sunday, we went to grandma's house where more crafting took place.

Here you see grandma showing Sammy how to sew a button on an elephant. Yes, elephants have buttons if you didn't know that already.

There's a pink elephant in the room and if I'm not mistaken, he's got a purple button eye. Honest to goodness we weren't drinking. My mom has so much patience with children, a trait that I apparently did not inherit. I don't think Sammy and I could have finished this project without her. Good job Sammy. Your sewing is coming along so nicely.

I can't possibly begin to explain what this type of craft this is so I went to Wikipedia and found this explanation.

Mizuhiki is an ancient Japanese artform that uses a special cord. The cord is created from rice paper, that is tightly wound, starched to give it stiffness, and then colored. The ways of coloring include brightly colored mylar (a very thin plastic), thin strands of silk, or simply painted. The artform was used to tie up the hair of the samurai.

Currently there are several forms. The traditional decoration, given away at Japanese occasions, such as weddings, births, and funerals take the forms of animals or boats. Different animals are created for different meanings, including Cranes, Frogs, Fish, Dragons, and Turtles are among the most popular. The other traditional way the art is done is in decorating cards with little colored knots, similarly to how people in western cultures use a ribbon and bow. A third way is being developed that uses the ancient art for a more modern purpose, jewelry.

The piece that my mother and daughter are holding were both made by my grandmother many years ago. It really is special to have these items. My grandmother now well into her 80's is quite the artist. I still find her arranging flowers whenever she gets a chance.

Sammy also had many questions about Japanese craft called Bunka. It's something my mom used to do often when I was girl.

Bunka is a knitted rayon cord that is similar to the material used to make decorative tassles and graduation tassels. It is shiney, and has a nice drape.The word 'bunka' comes from a Japanese form of punch embroidery. The needle art is called 'bunka', and the thread that is used is actually called 'kayo'.

Like Mizuhiki, in Bunka different animals represent different meanings. In Japan, the tiger represents bravery and is also associated with strength and prosperity.

It was a crafty weekend all right as well as a nice trip down memory lane. I hope my daughters really begin to appreciate the importance of these precious handmade items. I want them to know that the craft itself should be treasured but that the true treasure is the time well spent with friends and family.